"Uncle! Who is this girl? Why is she here?"

With more than a little shock, Iroh glanced between his incensed nephew and the object of his outburst. He was clearly losing his touch. For the third time in three days, he had missed some key development. This one in particular was very puzzling.

"Good afternoon, Zuko. Lovely to see you. Have you met our guest before?"

"G-guest?" Confused eyes met his as Zuko turned to him. Iroh watched as his nephew's eyes flicked towards Katara and back to his before his brow furrowed and his expression became a little more concerned. Zuko looked stunned by the revelation and Iroh snuck a look at Katara as he waited for his nephew to continue. The waterbender continued to stare wide-eyed at the boy in front of her and it was becoming apparent that they had definitely met.

Hmmm. It appeared someone had left a few things out of their recap of the morning.

"Yes, Katara is our newest resident at the Palace. Am I correct in assuming that you two have met before?" Iroh ventured out, watching the slight blush rising in Zuko's cheeks. Now curious, he let an eyebrow arch up and watched the colour in his nephew's face deepen. Turning back to the girl, he noticed an identical expression on Katara's face. Well, wasn't this an entertaining turn of events. "Katara? Anything you would like to elaborate on from your adventures this morning?"

Iroh leaned back in his chair as he watched both children avoid his eyes and waited to see which one would speak up first. He was a little surprised to hear Katara's voice quietly break the silence.

"I-I got a little lost."

"Interesting, I don't know if I have heard of anyone getting lost in my wing?" Iroh allowed a bemused note to enter his voice as he watched the girl's face darken as she focussed on her shoes.

"Your wing?" Iroh watched as Katara whipped around and glared at his nephew's outburst.

"Oh, did you not meet our guest in my wing?"

No longer oblivious to the girl glowering at him, Zuko's eyes flashed from his uncle's to Katara's and back again before finding his feet as well. Iroh watched as he awkwardly scuffed his left foot against the ground and his hands twitched. As always, Zuko was abysmal at lying and was clearly struggling at not being able to answer his uncle. Iroh sighed and tried a different tactic.

"Katara, I'm not going to be mad. Where did your explorations take you this morning?" he asked.

After a moment, Katara looked up at him. "I'm not actually sure, I got lost," she answered, frustration creeping into her tone. "There are just so many hallways and they all look the same. I was lost and then I heard something and ran and got more lost and then…" her voice trailed off and she peeked at Zuko out of the corner of her eye.

Ah. This was starting to make a bit more sense.

"You weren't looking where you were going," Zuko said accusingly, glaring back at Katara.

"Well you didn't have to be so rude," Katara shot back.

"I wasn't rude!"

"Yes you were!"

"You ran into me! I was in shock."

"At least I apologised! Who raised you to think that you could just speak to someone like that?"

"You insulted me too. And you stuck a finger in my face!"

"You deserve it, you –"

"Children, that's enough!" Iroh interrupted the bickering and watched as both of them instantly tore their eyes away from each other and scowled in opposite directions. "I feel some introductions may be in order here. Katara, this is Zuko, my nephew."

Iroh watched as shocked blue eyes reached his and swung to his nephew. Katara went bright red. Ah, so the girl hadn't clicked the connection between them. Iroh noted that he should endeavour to ask who Katara thought she had run into that morning.

His nephew? That haughty, rude boy from this morning was related to Iroh.

But…that meant…oh no…

"So, that makes him a prince?" Katara asked in complete shock.

"It does."

She watched smug golden eyes met hers and indignation flooded through her. "I don't believe you. He can't be a prince. Princes are raised to have manners."

"W-W-What, you can't say that to me?! I am a prince and you can't do anything about it."

"You're no prince to me!"

"Of course I am!" Zuko was getting more frustrated with every word, she could see the blotchy redness building in his face. The air on the balcony felt like it was getting warmer and her stomach dropped as she remembered a detail from their earlier exchange.

"Y-you're a firebender?" Katara asked, realisation dawning on her.

"Of course I'm a firebender," Zuko answered with a huff. "And I am your prince."

"No you're not," Katara repeated, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. The action appeared to confuse the boy and she watched as he turned to Iroh.

"Uncle? I don't understand what is going on. Everyone at the Palace is acting strangely and now there is this weird girl…" Zuko faltered as Katara scowled at him, before continuing. "…who doesn't think I am a prince. What is happening?"

Iroh sighed heavily and cracked a sheepish grin at his nephew.

"Ah, well you see, there are a few people in the Palace a little unsettled with a request I made of the Fire Lord. A request of which relates to young Katara here," Iroh explained, as Katara watched the boy's eyes flicked back to her. "Katara is a waterbender, the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, and now my ward."

Zuko's eyes widened and shot back to Iroh. "So she is going to live here?"

"For the meantime at least, yes she is," Iroh answered calmly.

Katara knew what was coming, but noticed that to his credit, Zuko appeared to be a bit sheepish about asking. "But…I still don't understand, aren't the Water Tribes our enemies?"

"Yes they are, which is why many of the people at the Palace are a more than a little disconcerted by this turn of events. But I put forward a proposal to your grandfather and he is going to allow me to raise Katara here," Iroh explained. Katara noticed the boy's shoulders relax as he absorbed what his uncle had said. "You know Zuko, Katara could end up joining you for training in a little while, it could be fun to practise against a waterbender."

Uncertain eyes focussed on Iroh before staring at her. "I guess," Zuko answered.

"So! I'm guessing that was why you have come to visit me, nephew? To find out why everyone was acting strangely?" Iroh chuckled.

"Maybe," Zuko mumbled as the colour returned to his face.

"Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way. Should we get some tea and have a game of Pai Sho. If Katara is going to be living here, we should introduce her to the game too and you can show off what you have learnt so far to her," Iroh winked at the now red-faced boy who was determined to not look directly at Katara.

Iroh's eyes twinkled as they met hers. "Katara, how would you like to learn a game?"

Glancing at the blushing boy, a cheeky grin spread out over Katara's face. "Very much, I'm good at games," she said, smirking at Zuko when he stared at her in horror.

Ugh, how was there two of them?

Zuko couldn't help but be a little perplexed as to how Katara could be enjoying this game as he watched her giggle at one of his uncle's terrible attempts at humour. Laughter seemed to come easily to Katara, bright and enthusiastic, often without regard for volume or unexpected additions.

The girl had already snorted twice since they had started playing. Once had been over a dreadful pun his uncle had made regarding tea leaves and once was after Zuko had played a move he thought had won him a strategic advantage only to find out he had failed to notice one of Uncle's pieces.

On both occasions, the girl had barely acknowledged the apparent slip-up in manners and it had stunned Zuko to see someone laugh without the restraint of the learned behaviours and etiquette that was allowed within the Fire Nation court. As a member of the Royal family, Zuko and his sister had been taught what behaviour was allowed around the Palace and Fire Nation nobles from a young age.

It was just another thing to add to the bizarre revelations of the day but he was realising it was not an unwelcome addition. Katara also continued to show a blatant lack of respect for Zuko's position and he had been laughed at and elbowed more than once during the afternoon of Pai Sho, tea and stories from Uncle.

However, he was finding it hard to stay annoyed at the teasing.

The laughter and light hearted teasing directed at him, also appeared to be equally directed at his uncle. Uncle was clearly enjoying the exchanges as well, and had laughed as loudly at the girl's tongue-in-cheek insults as she had been. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the one Zuko had suffered through the last few days and he was finding it harder and harder to resist the entertainment.

In fact, as he watched Katara take a piece from his uncle for the first time and raise her arms in victory, he couldn't help but grin at Uncle's mock devastation. Katara followed this gesture with leaping from her chair to perform what she referred to as a victory lap, giggling as she spun around behind Uncle's chair. To Zuko's horror, he found a giggle escape him. Katara blinked in surprise at the noise before before dropping back into her own cackling at his uncle's dramatic act of disappointment.

"Well I'm glad you two find this whole outrage amusing. I don't know why I allow you the privilege of playing on such a distinguished board with a master such as myself when all you do is impolitely mock a slight mishap on my behalf," Iroh huffed, theatrically throwing up his hands. With each enunciated word from his uncle, Zuko descended further into uncontrollable giggles.

"S-sh-she is beating you on her f-first time pl-playing it," Zuko struggled to get out words through his laughter.

"I would hardly call taking one piece beating me," Iroh grumbled as both children laughed harder.

Zuko felt tears escaping his eyes as he watched his uncle's expression crack and break down into his own mirth. He watched as Katara clutched her stomach and leant on his chair. Eventually their laughs resolved into breathless giggles and Katara slumped back into her own chair, winded and wiping her own damp eyes. When she looked over at him, Zuko shyly smiled back and felt a little warmth spread through his stomach when Katara beamed back at him.

Feeling his uncle's eyes on him, Zuko glanced back at him to observe a happy and contented face. For that moment, everyone in the room appeared to have forgotten their troubles and it was a nice feeling. A well overdue moment of happiness and joy for each of them.

While watching Uncle and Katara return to their game, their faces lost in concentration, Zuko wondered what series of events had to have happened for Katara to be sitting there playing Pai Sho against his uncle, the Crown Prince, in the middle of the Fire Nation. It didn't seem the right time to ask though and so Zuko just sat, observing the game, enjoying the banter and avoiding the teapot when it was offered to him by a hovering servant.

Each of them had lost track of time. Eventually a servant entered, bowing deeply and suggesting that food could be provided when they were ready for dinner. As they waited for a response, Zuko looked at Uncle uncertainly, trying to suppress the building grumbling in his stomach as his body remembered how long it had been since he had last eaten.

"You are most welcome to stay here for dinner, nephew," Iroh offered. "I can send someone to let your mother know you're here with me?"

Zuko nodded. "I would like that."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Katara looking at him strangely before she smiled again, the smile reaching her eyes. She did that a lot. Smile. It wasn't a common trait in people that looked at Zuko and he noticed that warmth was back.

Splashes of pink and orange swirled on the horizon as it bathed the view unfolded in front of them in a golden hue. Iroh had excused himself a little while back and unsure what to say, both children had simply watched the sun lazily descend from the sky. Lost in thoughts, it took a while for Katara to feel the curious eyes aimed at her. Twisting her head around, she raised her eyebrow in a silent question as she noticed the prince watching her, a blank expression fixed on his face. Zuko turned a similar shade to the sky as he realised what had happened, the glow from the sky transforming the blush on his cheeks into a radiant mix of warm tones.

"I-I'm sorry. I just- I've never seen someone stare as openly at the city as much as you…" Zuko uttered, the colour in his cheeks deepening. "I guess it probably isn't like where you've come from though…"

Katara watched as his voice trailed off, before shaking her head and responded quietly, "No, not at all. My village is nothing like this place."

Zuko's face scrunched up before he asked, "Can I ask what it's like? I've only heard a little about the water tribes and it is mainly about the Northern Water Tribe…"

"It's tiny, especially compared to this. There aren't many of us left," Katara responded, a sad smile emerging on her downturned face. "Everything is covered in snow and we all live in igloos or huts made from the ice as well as wood and canvas. It's always cold but the surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful." She raised her eyes to see Zuko watching her closely. "I've never been to the Northern Water Tribe though. But I have heard stories of the kingdom there. It sounds magnificent, I hope to see it one day. And to see home again…"

Silence descended on them for a few moments, before Zuko broke it with a shy voice, sadness shining in his eyes. "Maybe Uncle can take you back there at some stage?"

"Maybe," she quietly agreed, a small smile blooming on her face at the boy's concern. Changing the subject, she asked. "Have you ever left the Fire Nation before?"

A little chuckle answered her query. "No not at all, I don't really get to ever leave the Palace. I don't go to the city," Zuko explained.

"Never?"

"Well we have gone to Ember Island in the Fire Nation for a few holidays…but even that involved a palanquin ride through to the docks," Zuko answered a little self-consciously. "I imagine I will get to see some of the Fire Nation colonies when I get old enough. But I am a prince, princes don't get to just run around by themselves…"

"That's so sad."

Shocked eyes swept up to hers. "You feel sorry for me?"

"Maybe you don't see it, but that seems so lonely to me," Katara said. When he didn't respond, she followed up in a more cheerful manner. "I guess I only got to venture outside my village for gathering trips with some people from my tribe…until I came here…so I probably can't judge you." She gave him a cheeky smile, feeling better when she noticed that Zuko looked a little less despondent.

"Right nephew, I think it is about time for you to head back to your mother. I don't want to be on the receiving end of a telling off from Ursa," Iroh interrupted, eyes twinkling as he observed the startled jumps from the two children at his presence. "You are welcome to come back tomorrow, I imagine Katara will be getting sick of my stories," he continued, winking at her causing her to giggle.

"I want to come back," Zuko flushed a little as he responded, standing up and moving next to his uncle.

"Excellent! Now let's get you back. Katara, I'll be back shortly," Iroh said, placing his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

Katara waved at them and couldn't help but feel a bit lighter when Zuko raised his hand to wave in a shy response. Despite the excitement of that morning, getting lost may have caused her to make a new friend and in this place, that seemed to be a rare achievement. As she got ready for sleep and snuck back into the makeshift bed in Iroh's room, Katara felt a little less lonely and a little more hopeful.

Comforted by these thoughts, she had fallen into a deep sleep long before Iroh returned to the room.

His uncle had been uncharacteristically quiet as they walked through the halls back toward the quarters where Zuko's family lived. Zuko had stolen a few glances up at his uncle's expression as they got closer to his bedroom, impatiently waiting for Uncle to speak what was clearly weighing on his mind.

Eventually, as they drew near to the guards outside the entrance to his quarters, Uncle turned slowed him down squeezing his shoulder before crouching down facing Zuko. The nervousness flickering across his uncle's eyes instantly made Zuko's curiosity dissolve into anxiety.

"Nephew, I need to ask you a favour," Uncle waited for Zuko to timidly nod before continuing. "Katara is in a very vulnerable situation at the moment being here. I only ask that you try and not speak about her too much to others, just for the time being…until she has settled in and the people around the Palace are more comfortable with her being here."

"Why? Is she in danger?" Zuko tentatively asked.

Uncle shook his head, calmly looking at him. The expression on his uncle's face appeared to be portraying a confidence Zuko was not convinced that he actually felt. "No I don't think so, Zuko. But I don't want to put her in any more of a precarious position with the Fire Lord or the court than she already will be. There are some here that are not happy with the decision that both your grandfather and I have made and will be trying to gather information that suggests it was the wrong decision. They will not want to openly express their opinions and speak out against us…but I do not want to give them any ammunition to allow those opinions to fester. Do you understand what I mean? Are you ok with that?" Zuko nodded a little fearfully and his uncle squeezed his shoulder as he stood up. "Thank you, nephew. I hope you two will get along over her time here."

Uncertainly, Zuko looked up at his uncle. "She seemed nice," he eventually said.

Uncle smiled down at him before leading him through to his bedroom. There he bid him goodnight, explained he was going to speak to Zuko's mother and left Zuko to ponder the veiled warning.

Zuko sunk down onto his bed and pulled his knees into his chest as he tried to process what his uncle had said. Uncle had said that Katara was not in danger but his expression didn't appear to believe that. The exchange had left Zuko confused and a little scared. It didn't seem right for a child to be in danger. Surely the Fire Nation adults couldn't hurt a child, even one from another nation.

He realised that he hadn't even asked Katara her age, but she couldn't be any older than Zuko himself. She seemed too small and she had been nice, even if a little teasing. Maybe he could ask Uncle to explain more about it when he saw them again tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Banishing the apprehensive thoughts, Zuko felt himself smile as he reminisced about the joy he'd felt watching the game earlier in the day. He longed to feel that again.

For the first time in days, Zuko felt excited about what the morning would bring. As he pulled up the covers and fell into a deep sleep, he felt a welcomed sense of contentment.