19. Stubborn

Jee, in less than five minutes, decided that his new leader was brash, irrational, and bull-headed.

He'd been kicked off of Admiral Zhao's crew for saying similar things (with a dig at the admiral's distinctive sideburns) before he went to the Three Nations Academy of Good Fortune and had been downgraded to do odd jobs for the disgraced General Iroh. Truthfully, he liked this more. He lived closer to his wife and growing son, and Jee respected the older man, as he'd served under him during the infamous Siege of Ba Sing Se. He didn't see the retired general as weak; Jee privately often thought he would have reacted the same way and admired the man for sticking to his decision and not denouncing it in public (which would mean, in turn, lowering his son's death), as most of the noblemen would gladly do to get back into power.

Most of his errands were fetching tea supplies and letters and playing Pai Shao. It was actually quite cushy and comfortable, and General Iroh was funny and wise. It was when the Prince was sent to the school to survey the progress for a while that Jee began to question if Iroh liked him at all.

One, the Prince's errand was actually disguised as a punishment. Well, not a punishment exactly—it was more of a standard "get the unfavored out of the way." Prince Zuko, instead of being banished after the fateful Agni Kai, had been mercifully allowed to stay in the palace as prince and heir...with the mark of shame on his face. Jee knew what Fire Lord Ozai's plan was. Zuko would be sent away, and as Zuko was supposed to begin his grooming for the official title of heir to the throne, he'd be sent more and more assignments far away from home for the "good of the Fire Nation," while his sister—prodigy, master Firebender, favorite—would silently slip into the role of future ruler. (Jee hated the girl. He'd witnessed her set a servant's hair on fire, and that was enough for him)

Two, the Prince was known for his temper and complete pig-headedness. The peasant saying of "pull the bull-pig forward, and all he will want to do is go backwards." And backwards he did go, regardless of what anyone told him. Jee was not looking forward to guarding the Prince, that was for sure.

The first thing that hinted at a long journey was lunch. To put it simply, the Prince wanted roasted raven-duck, and there wasn't raven-duck.

"What should we do?"

"I could whip up a substitute."

"No! He'd know it wasn't raven-duck!"

"How do we tell him?"

"You go; it's my first day here!"

Jee stopped the kitchen staff before they started a riot. "Why don't I tell the Prince we don't have raven-duck? He'll understand."

They stared at him.

"Look, if my boy wanted sea slug, and there was no sea slug, he'd have to have cow-hippo instead." Jee answered firmly. "He got it, and so will Prince Zuko. Wait here."

Prince Zuko did not take this scenario very kindly, even when Jee laid out that there was no raven-duck, and if they stopped at a town for the such meat, they'd be late. And if they were late, it would make things inconvenient, and the big speech would have to be pushed to tomorrow.

Jee was sent back with orders to head to the nearest town. Zuko had stared him down with darkened eyes. "I am the Prince. I do not step off my Komodo Rhino to walk among the peasants. I ride through the crowd. They get out of the way, or not."

Jee hung around Prince Zuko, right at his heels, and stood outside the classroom doors. He preferred standing outside, because he could read the books Iroh sent him. He really didn't believe anyone would shove past him to assassinate the Prince, but he scanned the hallways every so often.

He didn't like standing inside or where anyone could see him. Since the students couldn't really glare at the Prince, they glared at him instead. He'd mostly been what his mother called a "shadowbender," always hidden and never tremendously active with the other nobles, but he'd never been the one always snubbed for Hide and Explode or had his ink bottle "accidently" smashed into his belongings. The glares were a bit startling.

Of course they don't like you. We're too different.

Jee ignored them. He wanted to speak up when a teacher struck them or belittled them, but he tried to shrug it off. His teachers did that. He turned out fine. They had to learn.

Or did they?

This thinking was dangerous. This made General Iroh fall, always out of sight and away from the public eye, forever disgraced.

His father told him to stand up for his beliefs. His mother told him to care for everyone.

He wouldn't get involved. This wasn't childhood. They needed to grow up.

It changed when Prince Zuko started to stalk the girl with blue eyes.

Jee turned the other way when the Prince asked the girl, Niu, for tea. It was a bit strange, since he'd never taken much interest in females, except necessary dates with noblewomen and a few little tours with Lady Mai around the garden, and the girl was a troublemaker to the boot. He only heard talking. Nothing was happening. He leaned against the door and began to open his book.

Suddenly the knob turned, and the door opened. He heard the Prince snarl with a strange sound that may have been laughter: "And, Katara? I am the Prince. I always win."

The girl didn't look back, but her hand trembled on the door as she swept out. She nearly bumped into him, and he saw unshed tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Are you all right, miss?" He hadn't meant to ask, but he did.

She glared at him so fiercely that he wondered if the school that made a mistake, that they weren't harboring a Firebender disguised as a Water native.

"Leave me alone."

She stormed away. Jee closed his book and watched her go untl she disappeared around the corridor. His ears picked up the quickening of footsteps that heavily differed from her calm walk—running.

Jee spotted the Prince swinging out the window with a blue mask. He followed him while he observed her classes. The Prince was obsessed, and that worried him. It was not pure lechery. It meant something dangerous for the girl. She may have been the enemy, but she was only a girl. The same age as his son.

It was easy to keep an eye on the girl, since his commanding officer was always watching her. He volunteered now to stay inside the classroom, claiming the hallway was boring, and he had no more books. Sometimes when the Prince was away, he watched the girl warily step around the school, but always defiant in small ways, like putting extra food on someone's plate or roling her eyes at a teacher's particularly base remark about the other nations. The girl had inner strength; she was unmoveable in her beliefs, but easily flared in the face of injustice. Jee often feared the girl could be penalized for sure, but the girl could sidestep a truly dire punishment. She always looked as if she was thnking, planning, watching.

He cornered her in the empty hallway as she was making her way back to her house. "Girl, Niu—"

"That is not my name. Who are you, the prince's personal spy? You've been following me, and I don't like it."

Observant. "I am Lieutenant Jee, ordered to be the Prince's personal body guard by General Iroh."

She tossed her head. "Those titles mean nothing to mean. What do you want?" She hugged her books closer to her chest, but her eyes still glinted with anger.

"The Prince is keeping an eye on you, most of all. Be careful."

"Oh." She raised her eyebrows. "I know that."

Jee was surprised. "You do? Has he...hurt you?"

She stepped back. "Why do you care? You're Fire Nation, friends with people of power."

The lieutenant shook his head, something falling from his lips that he instantly wondered whether he could take back, or should. "I care because I am worried. I am your friend."

Her eyes regarded him, for something, for a hidden purpose he could not identify. She shook her head and looked around. "You shouldn't even be talking to me. Get back to your prince, and stay away!"

She didn't bother saving her dignity—the girl ran like a startled deer-gazelle, as far away as she could. Jee stared after her. For a moment, her eyes had had the same hard-pressed look the Prince often had.

More on what Zuko did as the Blue Spirit next time.

No, I do not support Jee/Katara. Come on, the guy is old enough to be her dad. Get real.