Title: Infidelity
Summary: The night of their wedding, Azula made it clear that she would not give him an heir. But the Fire Nation needs an heir.
Azula looked at him, "Let's get one thing straight Zuko. I'm not giving you a child. Any heirs you may have will have to come from a concubine."
Zuko said nothing, and nodded.
"My Lord I am with child," the woman said sadly. Zuko looked at her and gave her a smile.
"It's all right. You've filled your duty. I have an heir. However," Zuko began. "My wife can never know. If she does I'm afraid it will be the end of us all."
Azula would bring hell to the Fire Nation just to have his head and anyone else responsible (including the woman who stood before him) for his treason toward her. It wouldn't matter to his consort that he doesn't love the woman before him, that it meant nothing but simply business.
"Sir how are we going to do this?" the sage asked.
"Don't worry. I have arranged that in my will that the child will be heir after I am gone."
"Her Majesty--"
"She won't be able to fight it. Until then the child must be hidden from her," Zuko told him, looking out the window where the sun was setting.
"But didn't she say you could sire a child from a concubine?" the sage was confused. Confused for many reasons, such as why was the Fire Lord taking this kind of heartache from his wife when he clearly was superior in throne and authority. In addition, she had said that he could sire a child from another--but this man did not know Azula the way he did. Maybe he didn't know Azula at all.
"If my wife finds out I touched another woman she would kill me. What she said was a test, to see if I was desperate enough to bring an heir to the Fire Nation that I would betray her." Zuko sighed, he loved Azula wholeheartedly, but the Fire Nation needed an heir. It was a shame that Azula could never raise his child as theirs because she wouldn't be able to see past the fact that he touched another woman.
"Zuzu?" Azula cooed, turning to face him.
"Hm?" he replied, looking up at the ceiling of their bedroom. The married couple was lying on their bed together.
"I'm with child," she said happily.
"What...?" the sovereign of the Fire Nation was elated, only to have reality crashing down on him the next second so hard. He began to feel dizzy, and his throat felt like it was closing up.
"I'm pregnant dumb dumb."
"With whom?" he asked, not fearing the answer. If it was him, sure he would be happy but then what about the son he fathered several years ago? If it was by another man, then he would kill this lover of hers. Either way, it was apparently a lose-lose situation.
"What do you mean with whom? You, duh!"
He knew it. Azula had always been faithful--another sting to his conscience. However he preferred this alternative better than the other. He was just confused though, "But I thought...you were taking contraceptive herbs?"
"I lied."
"Why?"
"Idiot. It was a test--to see if you would be faithful, and you are. Besides as if I would leave the Fire Nation heirless."
A/N: This was supposed to be A LOT shorter, with dialogue mostly and little description, but I was afraid it may have been too confusing. I also planned on writing what happened afterwards, which there was a lot more, but I think I'll wait awhile longer.