The retired General Iroh smiled as he gazed up at the palace he had grown up in. It held a lot of memories, both good and bad, but memories nonetheless. The former Crown Prince lightly chuckled at the thought that he could've become the Fire Lord once, but following the death of his beloved son, Lu Ten, he realized there were things far more important than power and fame.
The soldiers that guarded the entrance greeted him with a deep bow. "It is an honor to have you back, General Iroh."
"It's retired general, now." He smiled kindly and he was led into the palace.
First order of business, to see his little nephew.
"Uncle!" Prince Zuko ran to the uncle he looked up to like his own father and hugged him tight.
"Nephew, how you've grown!" Iroh smiled and appraised the young man, but he knew right off the bat that something was not quite right. "Come join me. I am in great need for some fresh, hot jasmine tea."
They had their tea in the Royal Common Room and Iroh told Zuko of his adventures, some believable, others, too otherworldly for the young Zuko to comprehend.
"Tell me, Prince Zuko, there seems to be something bothering you. Is it your sister, Azula?"
"No, uncle, my sister is her usual self... manipulative and psychotic—" that earned him a gentle slap on the arm from his uncle. "It's just..."
"Is it a girl?" Iroh asked teasingly, but the reaction from the young prince confirmed it so. In a swift movement that even Zuko was surprised his uncle could pull off, he sat beside his nephew. "So who is this young woman that has my nephew dazed?"
Before Zuko could reply, the Common Room doors opened and Lady Suiren entered. "I heard that the Dragon of the West has come back to the palace." She smiled widely at her old friend.
"Suiren!" Iroh laughed and got up to greet her. "The most notorious entertainer of the Fire Nation!"
"You flatter me too much, Lord Iroh."
"Come join me and my nephew for tea, Suiren. I brewed it myself!"
"I am afraid I cannot be away too long, you see my young ward is still sick—"
Zuko had approached them by then, "How is she?"
Suiren bowed her head. "She is still the same, my prince. I still cannot permit you to see her."
This piqued Iroh's curiosity and instantly he made a connection. "Zuko, I would like to have a word with the Lady Suiren. We will take our leave first."
"But uncle—" The adults had already gone out the door, leaving the frustrated, young prince alone in the Common Room.
Suiren led her friend along the maze of hallways back to her wing of the palace. If there was someone who knew what to do with Chiyo, it just might be him. "So I have heard you have taken in quite a talented apprentice, Suiren. The news of the young fire lily has traveled all across the nation, and even through parts of the Earth Kingdom."
The lady smiled gently. "Yes, she is indeed a gem."
They entered a room where Chiyo lay in bed, thin and pale, her dark curls sprawled over the pillow. Suiren moved to her side and gently touched her arm. "Chiyo... There's someone who I would like you to meet."
Slowly, the young girl opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was an old man with a kind smile. She carefully pulled herself up to a sitting position and bowed her head. "It is an honor to meet you, Sir. My name is Chiyo."
"And I am Iroh." He returned her bow. "But you can call me 'Uncle'." He didn't bother introducing himself as Fire Lord Ozai's brother. It was a needless title.
"Uncle Iroh..." The girl repeated and smiled.
'Quite a charming smile...' Iroh noted. 'Must be why my nephew is so dazed.'
"After the performance, my young Chiyo fell ill. The Royal Physician had told us that it was purely stress and exhaustion, but none of their remedies seem to work!" Suiren took out a brush and tried to disentangle Chiyo's hair. "We have tried everything..." She left out the part where Ozai had terrorized the child. She will mention it to him once Chiyo is out of earshot.
"Have you tried tea?" Iroh stated in deep thought as he stroked his white beard.
"Surely, you're joking, Iroh—"
But in fact, he was not. "Tea has more medicinal properties than just good taste, Lady Suiren. And having tea is not just the act of drinking it together. It is the conversation among friends that makes tea more calming and enjoyable, even therapeutic!"
Desperate enough to try anything, Suiren ordered Sol to fetch some furnishings for tea. "Should we get ginseng? Litchi? Or perhaps jasmine?"
Iroh pulled out a special little packet from his small satchel. "I've been saving this for a special occasion."
The former general requested that he have tea alone with the young apprentice and Suiren finally acquiesced after a long discussion. He set the tray with pot of steaming water and slowly dropped the leaves in.
Chiyo watched the man intently, noticing the tea leaves were different from the usual. "Why are the leaves black, Uncle Iroh?"
He smiled as he let the leaves steep in the water. "Because this is a special type of chi-enhancing tea, little Chiyo. I got it from the local traders back in the Earth Kingdom. They only sell these every few or so years. It is quite a special occasion since I am meeting a new friend." He slowly poured tea into two cups and handed one to her.
She took it in both hands, feeling the warmth of the cup in her palms slowly make its way down to her arms. She sniffed it and was taken aback by its strong aroma. "Do not be deceived by appearances, or smell for that matter." Iroh chuckled as he took a seat on a stool next to Chiyo's bed.
She nodded and took a small sip, and another, and another, until she had down the contents of one cup. "Wow..." She blinked, surprised at the tea and at herself for finishing it.
"Another cup?" Iroh offered and she politely accepted, this time, savoring the tea slowly. "So, little Chiyo, tell me your story."
"My story?"
"Yes, child." He smiled as he sipped his own tea. "How you came to be here in the Fire Nation Palace with the lovely Suiren."
No one has ever asked her that before. She collected her thoughts with a calming sip of tea and started. "When I was a baby, Lady Suiren saved me. My mother died giving birth to me, and she told me that her death drove my father insane. From then on, she took care of me, along with Auntie Lee and Auntie Anita—"
"Ahh yes, the lovely ladies of the Salinja Troupe..." Iroh said, almost dreamily as he recounted his frequent visits to the troupe.
"You know of them?"
"Of course!" Iroh laughed. "Who doesn't? They are the most beautiful and talented ladies in all of the land! And you my dear, might I say, are no exception."
Chiyo blushed at the compliment and bowed her head. "Thank you, Uncle Iroh."
"Do continue your story..."
Chiyo thought back to the time back in when they lived in the troupe quarters, a place where women and art come together like a living painting on a vast canvas.
"Chiyo!" Lee called out as she looked everywhere for the young child, holding two shamisens in her hands. "It is time to practice your instruments young lady!"
The young girl, aged six, ran away from her teacher's friend and hid behind the skirt of Lady Anita who was then teaching other young girls on harmonizing their voices. Anita cocked her head to the side, tipping Lee on where the child was and finally she got her. "There you are, you little thing!"
Their laughter filled the days of the troupe. There, Chiyo learned several of the arts: Singing, dancing, poetry, tea ceremonies, calligraphy, instruments, and more.
Chiyo enjoyed them all. It was a world where her creativity was pushed beyond her limits and more, and she reveled in it.
One day, Suiren had just finished her tedious practice, sweat falling gracefully down the sides of her flawless face. Chiyo ran up to her mentor and handed her a cool wet cloth. "Thank you, my lovely child."
"Have you mastered the 'Dance of the Swords' yet, Lady Suiren?" The pupil asked excitedly as they sat down at their quarters.
"Just a bit more and after all this, I will pass it all on to you." Suiren smiled at the young child.
"Chiyo! It's time for you tea-making lessons!" The ceremonial tea mistress, Lady Quinta, called from outside, looking for the child who immediately dove under her mentor's skirts.
"Yes, Lady Quinta was quite the character!" Iroh laughed gleefully. "But she does make the best tea. In fact, I learned a few of my tricks from her."
They old general and the young apprentice had a long conversation that broached on different subjects; Chiyo's training, Iroh's travels, of anything under the sun. It was the most that Chiyo talked after months of being ill. And surprisingly, not once did she have the urge to empty the contents of her stomach, despite having at least three cups of the black tea.
She liked her new friend a lot.
Unable to resist, Suiren entered the room once again and immediately, she could see that Chiyo's complexion had started to get better. There was certain warmth, a soft pink tinge in her cheeks, as well as color in her lips. She took her small hand in hers. "How are you feeling, Chiyo?"
"I'm actually feeling a lot better, Lady Suiren." She smiled. "But can I still be excused from training for a few more days?"
"Of course you can, my child." She hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "If you are feeling up to it, I'll give you a warm soak in the tub later, okay?"
"See, Lady Suiren? Anything can be fixed by good tea and good company!" The general beamed proudly.
The lady conceded. "So, Iroh, I never asked you, why the sudden visit to the palace?"
"I wouldn't miss my nephew's birthday for the world."