Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the characters. I just love it to death.
2nd update in one day. I was so excited after the last chapter that I had to write more. Enjoy.
Zoren immediately took to looking after Kiela, though it certainly looked to be the other way around with the way she continuously clung to Zoren. Rukon didn't seem as interested in the little girl, but it wasn't unusual as he was four years her senior and busy training to be the next fire lord. Zoren hadn't shown any propensity to bend fire yet, so the time his brother spent fire bending he spent with Kiela and Grandpa Iroh.
Kiela immediately wormed her way into Iroh's heart, though that wasn't particularly challenging considering she was an adorable little girl who took after her mother. She even liked to drink Grandpa Iroh's tea, which made Zoren scrunch up his face in disgust. Really what child would drink bitter tasting tea when they could have sweet drinks like fire-plumb juice?
Zoren's father seemed to have the same opinion on tea as Zoren. After all he was the one who taught Zoren to politely pour tea onto the fir-palms when Grandpa Iroh wasn't looking. Kiela's presence made time with Grandpa Iroh much more enjoyable, because he could more easily rid himself of the bitter beverage while the old man was distracted by the energetic girl. He got to listen to Grandpa Iroh's fantastic tales without drinking tea and Grandpa Iroh also told stories he had never heard before.
Zoren didn't know why he had never heard stories about Katara before. Katara was only mentioned in passing once or twice as one of the companions of the Avatar. His uncle had told dozens of stories about the amazing blind metal bending girl, the Avatar and his flying bison, and even some humorous ones about a loyal but bumbling water tribe soldier. Then there were the hundreds of stories about his brave and unyielding father. However, he had never once specifically told a story about Kiela's mother until she arrived.
There were some good ones too. He still liked to hear stories about his father most and as Kiela grew older she wanted to hear more about her mother. Grandpa Iroh often compromised and told stories that both Zuko and Katara were in. There was one about pirates and one where they had to dress up and pretend to be married to sneak into the fire nation and one where Katara saved his father's life with her magical healing powers after Zuko took a blow meant for her.
Sometimes Zoren's father would come and listen to Grandpa Iroh's stories with them and get this far away look in his eye. Sometimes he would smile and other times he would have a scowl on his face as he listened to Grandpa Iroh.
When Zoren and Kiela didn't listen to Grandpa Iroh's stories they often played in the gardens. Mostly they fed the turtle ducks sometimes they were joined by Fire Lord Zuko and other times Rukon would come and play with them as well.
Zoren didn't like how Rukon played sometimes. They would play captured princess, and Kiela would be tied to a tree. Rukon always played the bad guy who was holding Kiela hostage. One time he threatened to burn the captive princess if Zoren got any closer and made a small flame appear in his hand.
Kiela was not afraid of anything. Zoren had seen her walk along roof edges scaring his father nearly to death, jump into water far over her head, enter his father's war chambers, and climb on palace guards. He had never seen her cry once or scream except in joy, but when Rukon lit that fire her eyes went wide and she whimpered quietly.
Rukon quickly put out the fire, but Kiela was already crying. Zoren had never been so mad in his life. Even though Rukon was two years older, much bigger, and a fire bender Zoren tackled him to the grass without thinking. He than began attempting to hit his older brother with his small fists.
They were pulled apart by their mother who had a disapproving scowl on her face. "What are you doing?" she asked in her stern voice.
"We were playing and I accidentally scared Kiela," Rukon explained.
"He held fire, mother, and made her cry," Zoren interjected.
Mai looked over at the whimpering girl still tied to the tree with something akin to hatred and then back at her boys. "You will not fight again. Do you understand?"
Both boys nodded their heads down.
"And you will no longer play with Kiela," she finished with an impassive look on her face. Both boys looked at her in shock, but Zoren felt like his stomach had dropped to his feet.
"No you can't," Zoren said desperately. "We would never hurt her it was an accident," he pleaded.
"You boys are too rough on her," their mother replied. She went over and cut loose the rope that held Kiela and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Besides she is nearly six and will soon be sent to the fire academy for girls to learn skills necessary for every woman to know," Mai explained.
"No, I won't go," Kiela shouted stomping on her Aunt Mai's foot and squirming loose. She grabbed Zoren's hand and ran out of the gardens. Zoren followed her blindly, though he knew he would be in trouble later.
Kiela threaded her ways through the palace corridors. They reached the doors to the throne room, and Zoren hesitated. They weren't ever supposed to enter the throne room, but Kiela had let go of his hand in order to slip through the crack she created in the door. He followed after her, and her small hand grabbed his shirt pulling him behind the tapestries.
"Kiela, what are you doing? We can't be here," Zoren whispered desperately.
"No one will find us here. Please Zoren," she said holding him tightly around his middle. "I don't want to go," she begged.
He hugged her back and hoped that she was right. "You won't," he promised. When he heard the door to the throne room burst open he held his breath.
"Fire Lord Zuko," came the clipped voice of his mother.
"Yes Mai," he replied. "You can call me Zuko; we are married," he said with a slight smile to his voice.
"Fine, Zuko," she breathed. "I want that water bender's child out of my home immediately," she demanded. Zoren couldn't see what was going on, but he could feel the temperature of the room rise as the glow of the fires surrounding the throne increased.
"And why is that Mai," his father replied in a cold voice.
"She's a bad influence on the boys, especially Zoren. They play all day and he neglects his lessons," she told him in an angered voice.
"Mai Zoren's only seven, and the world is at peace," his tone of voice nearly matching Mai's.
"And she's a constant reminder of her," Mai screamed. Kiela clasped Zoren tightly, and Zoren buried his face in her brown hair. Zoren had never heard his mother this upset and it frightened him. He didn't understand everything, but he definitely understood the anger.
"What has that got to do with anything, Mai," Zuko said warningly. "You are my wife and the only woman I've been with that should satisfy you," Zuko replied coldly.
"Please, Zuko," Mai said her voice trembling slightly. Zoren looked up from Kiela's hair surprised. He had never heard his mother say 'please' before either.
"No, Kiela stays and that's final," Zuko commanded.
"Fine," Mai hissed and Zoren heard her dress swirl and the door slam as she left the throne room.
His father sighed and returned to whatever Fire Lords did. He held Kiela for another ten minutes as she cried for the second time that day. They snuck out of the throne room and into their bedrooms to await the next day. Zoren wasn't sure whether he should be happy or sad. He was glad Kiela was staying, but he had never heard his parents fight before. A small part of him blamed Kiela for the fight, but he pushed that dark thought away.
Oooh. Who do you think was listening to Zuko's confession of love for Katara in chapter one? Was it Rukon or Zoren? You won't find out for awhile sorry. "Mine is an evil laugh" -Wosh from Firefly