well...apparently, there was a demand for an update. lol. soooo! here it is! i like this chapter... actually, more like i like the end of it.

OOH! momentary songfic moment at the end! Disclaimer: I don't own "Need You Now" or ATLA.

before i forget! thanks every for the SPECTACULAR reviews, faves, and alerts! you all rock my world. hearing your thoughts in reviews makes me want to write more- so please continue to do so!

this is probably the one story i'm actually inspired to write...haha

enjoy!

-TSA

Chapter 13:

'I don't use my body to seduce, no. I just stand there.' ~Ursula Andress

Nine in the morning- She had truly surprised herself with being up that early. Judging by the silence of the hallways, she assumed that either everyone was still asleep or they were already going about their duties. She tiptoed by the Earth King's chambers, the guards giving her a leering eye before she disappeared around the corner. Her destination was not that far away and once she reached it, she found that the doors were already cracked open.

Inviting? That was a curious thought. She slinked inside, where the floors were basking in the morning sun's light that seeped through the windows. The room was simplistic to say the least: a four poster bed, several furniture pieces of mahogany scattered about, and stone walls surrounding it all. She tiptoed around the marbled floors while searching for a certain object. Upon finding his stationary, she began rummaging through the letters that he received and the ones that looked to be ready to send.

"Find what you're looking for, Princess?"

She whirled around, hand clasping an unopened letter behind her back and tucking it into the sash of her robe, "I'm simply assuring that you are leaving no traces."

"You seem to not trust me."

"I trust all the pieces in my game." She smiled innocently while he circled around her like a bird of prey, "You have little faith in me."

"You've betrayed your own nation and two of your pieces are sitting in cells." He advanced closer to her until she was backed up against his desk, "How am I to know that you won't double cross me?"

"There's no way of knowing it." She smirked while running a finger under his chin, "You've been informed of my plans. I would have hoped that to be enough."

"I need assurance, Princess."

Briar had little time to be dealing with meddlesome "trust issues". She watched him with a sharp eye, waiting for any of his movements to be violent. He probably knew she had taken something, and now she just needed to know where the Dai Li had taken Chronos. There were several more stages in her plan and she wanted him alive to help her complete the final step. But that required knowledge of the prison he was being held in.

"Long Feng…" She purred his name, leaning up to him while gently tracing over his cheekbone, "I can entrust you with one more detail should you share with me the location of Lord Chronos."

Long Feng seized her wrist, his nails digging into her wounded wrist that was bandaged tightly, "Why would you need to know his location?"

"If I tell you, will you give me his location?"

He smirked, hand sliding down her arm, "Agreed."

"I have a hunch that the Avatar will be planning to save my fiancé and I wish to greet them in such an attempt."

It was a decent lie, but not even she was totally sold on it.

"I don't believe the Avatar is your concern." His hand slid around her waist, "You're no longer in control, Princess."

She didn't break her playful expression. Spirits, she hardly flinched. She just pressed herself up against him while dragging her fingers across his cheek, "I believe you owe me an answer, Sir."

Her lips were barely prickling his and she knew he was faltering with his composure, "Lake Laogai."

She smiled, twirling her way out of his arms, which caused him to stumble a step forward. Once out in the hallway, she ran to the other side of the palace where her chambers were, bursting inside while locking the door. Yanking the letter from her sash, she stared at the Fire Nation emblem on the seal. That letter was not supposed to be in his possession, and it agitated her that he was trying to intercept her messages. Stowing the envelope away in her robes as a knock sounded on her door, she decided now was not the time to be corresponding with the other players in her game.

. . . .

Lake Laogai…who'd have thought that? It was funny how easily Long Feng revealed the Dai Li's hideout to her upon a gentle caress across his cheek. Men. What pathetic creatures they had become as generations developed. She laughed while slipping into the shadows of the stone walls. Sliding a mask over her mouth, she threw the hood of her cloak up before dodging through the tunnel ways, where she would ever so often find officers wandering about.

She knew that the Dai Li had arrested Chronos and Jet, but she was having a hard time finding where they were being kept. It was difficult to continue navigating using her earth bending, since she figured she was just getting more and more lost. Jet could wait, but she needed to assure that Chronos was still breathing. His part in her game wasn't over yet, and if she lost him then she'd be in more trouble than she thought. Promoting a pawn to knight wasn't on her list of best ideas.

As she crept through the darkness, she heard a pair of footsteps rush past her. But they weren't the slow, marching ones of the Dai Li. Following the new shadow that danced through the tunnels, she drew the knife in her boot, the hilt glinting in the lantern's light. The figure stopped a moment; though it was simply to tease her into thinking she could catch him.

It was certainly frowned upon when a princess would snoop around in places she didn't belong, but she was less than keen on stopping her pursuit of the man who had infiltrated the Dai Li's headquarters.

She was finding it hard to believe that whoever had broken in had done so with ease. Even she had a difficult time. Pressing herself up against the wall, she peeked around the corner to see four offices walking toward her. Looked like she had met her end…When she looked back around, she saw all four men on the floor and a figure dressed in black standing over them with two broadswords. She gasped, hands coming to her mouth when she noticed that he had heard her.

The face that stared at her was hidden by a blue mask. She hesitantly stepped forward, knife still clutched in her palm, for the instance that it wasn't who she thought. But the figure only nodded to her and rushed down the hallway. Eyes narrowing, she burst after him, praying that it wasn't an intruder come to free Lord Chronos. That couldn't happen. Not now.

She finally stopped upon running into a rotunda that was surrounded by torches. Pulling her hood down for a moment, she surveyed the halls for any sign of a door. Pressing her hands to a wall, she mustered her energy to find the locks of it, and moved it with a sweep of her arms. She rolled her sleeves up, preparing for someone to find her, but the hallway was empty, though she had come by exactly where she wanted to be.

Ambling over to the prison cell on the farthest side of the tunnel while tucking her knife into her belt, she peered inside, having guessed correctly on finding Chronos.

"Who are you?" he seethed, struggling against the heavy chains that bound his arms and legs.

She removed her hood and mask, staring down at him while shaking her head, "Thank the Spirits that you're still breathing."

"You fucking bitch! What the fuck do you want?"

She slightly pitied him as he tried to break his restraints and fell against the cold floors, "You are of no use to me in this cell. A shame the Dai Li knows better than to put you in a prison of stone."

"No use to you?" He lifted his head, his wispy brown hair falling over his eyes, "I refuse to be a part of your games."

"That's not exactly you're choice." She shrugged upon hearing the sound of footsteps, "I have one last job that I will need you for. But I promise to be back again with further instruction. It seems as though someone knows I'm here." She smiled at him, "Be a good little boy while I'm gone, ok?"

She blew him a kiss before throwing her hood up and disappearing into the shadows, using her bending to open a new passageway. To her surprise, she was back in the rotunda, though it looked as though some of the torches were blown out. Odd occurrence…She reached for her knife, but darkness soon engulfed her and she was slammed against the wall. Blade clattering to the floor, she fought the hands around her throat, her nails tearing skin apart, though the hold on her hardly loosened.

"Where is Lord Chronos?"

Lifting a leg, she jammed her knee into her assailant's groin. When she gained her footing, she slammed her foot across his face as he doubled over, which sent him skidding across the ground. She blindly searched for her knife and once finding it, she rose to her feet and waited for the sound of advancing steps. But she was only met by silence.

"If that's you, Nalren, then I suggest you refrain from attacking me." She blinked a few times to try to adjust her eyes to the darkness, "I'll kill you if you try…"

"Where is Lord Chronos? What have you done to him?"

She rolled her eyes, watching a shadow appear in front of her. Backing against the wall, she opened another passageway that led to a platform surrounded by water. She stepped out onto it and watched as Nalren's hulking figure, adorned by golden armor, stepped into the dim light.

"I am keeping him out of harm's way." She held her chin higher, "A 'thank you' is the least you can give me."

"You've betrayed us all." He pulled a crumbled letter out of his pocket, laying it on the floor between them, "Lady Susanoo has entered Ba Sing Se, and she gave me that letter to warn the Earth King." Briar's eyes were as wide as her head, though she dared not make a move to pick up the letter, "There's nowhere to turn, Princess."

She lifted a brow, calculating the possibility that he was right. Had she been trumped? No. This was her game. She sighed heavily, "Oh, dear…A letter has defeated me."

"You're better off just turning yourself in."

"It would seem that way…" She fiddled with the knife in her hands, "Or I can kill you hear and dump your body in the lake. Just a thought…"

Nalren's hand rested on the hilt of the blade at his hip, "I have sworn my sword in allegiance to Lord Chronos, but I've sworn my life for the safety of my closest friend."

Briar wanted to feel pity for his care for Lord Chronos, but she wasn't in that mood, "That's touching. But I don't have time to be dealing with this. Challenge me and succeed in arresting me, Chronos will be executed. If you don't believe me, then take that chance on his life." He met her unfaltering gaze, "Make your move, Rook."

His brow furrowed, though he had no question to her response. He had now stepped onto the playing field, agreeing to be her defense as well as Chronos'. His hand fell from his hilt and he stood in attention, "I'll take your word, Milady." He held a hand up as she went to speak, "But should I suspect that Chronos' life is jeopardized, I won't hesitate to kill you."

She curtsied with a smile, one that looked like a hissing cobra, "I respect your distrust, General. My only warning is that you keep to your bargain of remaining silent unless you wish to find yourself at the bottom of Lake Laogai alongside Lord Chronos."

Nalren bowed his head, turning around to find the door still opened. He walked back into the shadows after picking up the letter that sat between them, which left Briar alone to her thoughts.

She tapped her foot impatiently while thinking on how to get that letter from him. Though her biggest issue now lied within her aunt having arrived in Ba Sing Se. That would cause problems if she were granted entrance into the palace. Fuck. She was certainly not accounting for that detail. She had little time to think about a route around confrontation, but she needed to plan what to do with her bishop, which brought up that her other bishop probably didn't trust her.

Cursing under her breath, she threw her hood up and trudged back into the dark rotunda, searching for her way back to the surface. It was most likely that her absence was being noted by Long Feng and the Earth King. The Earth King…she needed him wrapped around her finger. She hardly believed that would be a difficult job, though it would be much easier without Long Feng. That just meant she would have to play her temptress card like she had with Jet.

Lovely.

. . . .

The greatest weapons a woman had were: the ability to pleasure, the ability to laugh and smile, the ability to change personalities, and the ability to cry. No man could withstand any of it if all were used accordingly. As she slid into a short, cheongsam dress the color of her eyes with a gold tiger on the back with its claws surrounding a blazing sun, she found herself mulling through her mind how to go about seducing the Earth King.

He wasn't exactly the romantic type as far as she could tell, not to mention that he probably had minimal experience with women, which meant that she needed to pry open his mind to find his secret desires. That would take more time than she wanted, but she had to just improvise for the moment. Combing through her hair, she smiled at the bounce of the lightest curl of her hair, which sat along her back. She painted her lips a cherry blossom pink before shuffling out into the corridors of the palace.

It was eight at night, which meant the Earth King was in the audience chamber reading over lists of complaints or concerns in the kingdom. She was praying as she wandered down the hallways that Long Feng was not with him. Beckoning the two guards to allow her entrance, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and strutted down the open isle. The sound of her feet couldn't be heard for she decided against wearing any form of shoes, though she was surprised that The Earth King hadn't noticed that he was no longer alone.

"Your Majesty?" she chirped.

He looked up, peering at her through his spectacles, "What are you doing in here, Princess?" She tiptoed closer to him, though as she laid a foot on the stone steps, the bear at his side let out a mighty roar that made her retreat, "Bosco! Be nice to her!"

She forced a smile on her lips while her eyes never left the bear that was still growling, "What a charming animal."

"He's not usually this violent." The Earth King glanced at her, watching her slowly make her way up the stairs to stand before him. He had to admit that he liked the swing in her hips, which was making his heart race, "Can I help you?"

"I'm just curious about a few things, Your Majesty." She leisurely tugged the papers out of his hands, throwing them to the ground with a flick of her wrist, "Do you find me attractive?"

His face beamed a dark shade of red, "That seems like an irrelevant question-"

She slid onto his lap, arms hooking around his neck, "I don't think so considering the situation."

"P-Prince-cess-"

"You know…it's probably best if you don't talk." She pressed her lips to his cheek, leaving the faint line of her lipstick on his skin, "I just want to know that you really meant it when you said you wouldn't let Chronos hurt me."

"O-Of cou-course!"

"Next question." She playfully ran her finger along a vein of his neck, licking her lips, "There is a certain someone I need removed from Ba Sing Se."

"Wh-Who wo-would that b-be?"

"Lady Susanoo. She's trying to force me to return to my kingdom." She stuck her bottom lip out, "And I'd rather stay here with you. Can you maybe help me out with that?"

"I can see what I can do-"

He was silenced by Briar's lips smoothing over his. His body went rigid for a moment before his hands slid over her thighs and he held her tightly against himself. When the warmth of her mouth left his, he found himself waiting for a second kiss. But all he got was her rising to her feet and winking at him.

"It's getting late, Your Majesty." She sauntered down the steps and out across the audience chamber floor, "Sleep well!"

Once outside the doors, she wrinkled her nose. Not the best kisser she'd come across…Stomping into her chambers, she found her knees shaking a bit, her heart thundering in her chest. Brow furrowed, she tried to block out the screaming of her mind. Cheating on her prince? She couldn't afford to be so smitten with her knight, since it was hurting her seductress nature, which she relied on to stay in control of her game. But she couldn't bring herself to continue with it.

'It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.'

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! She slipped to the floor while burying her face in her hands. Why was this happening? It couldn't be true- that she was actually in love! That wasn't in her makeup; it wasn't something she felt she grew up with. No. She was always alone and that wasn't about to change-

A tiny tear trickled from the corner of her eye, streaking down her cheek until it dripped onto the marble floor to form a perfect pool of water. Staring down at it, she tried to slow her heartbeats that were roaring over her last encounter with Zuko. The taste of his scalding lips, the fire in his chest, the swarms of passion that consumed them…Laughing, she mused on the notion that she hadn't ever tasted a Fire Nation Prince before him. The hundreds of spices that burned her skin was the most incredible feeling she'd ever experienced.

She could curse a thousand more times, though all she could think of was that sensational emotion that erupted in her chest every time she thought of him. Fuck. She was in too deep now. But she couldn't assure that her knight would be safe, despite that she had fallen in love with him.

'Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now.'

. . . .

'And I don't know how I can do without.'

His body felt weak, his legs shaking with exhaustion. He wobbled into the apartment while listening to his uncle speak of how it was the right thing to do- releasing the Avatar's Flying Bison. But his head hurt so much that the words were ringing in his ears, though he could make no sense of it. When it was that he hit the floor, he wasn't sure, though all he could feel was a scorching heat rising in his chest until he was drenched in his own sweat.

He struggled to stand, resulting in dragging a vase of flowers to the ground, shattering the glass and scattering the flowers and their petals. Rolling over onto his stomach, his eyes fluttered open and closed as he saw Briar's face dancing in front of his fingers. Arm sweeping out to touch her, he let out a cry of agony while his uncle rushed to his side. There were no words he could make out. All he could think of was the familiarity of the heat in his chest, but the pain was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Staring up at his uncle as he was pushed onto his back, he could only think of one word, one name before the darkness swept over his eyes.

"Br-Briar…"

'I just need you now.'

don't know about you guys...but i think this song fits them rather well. expect it to turn up again! :)

OOH! CHESS PIECES! Nalren has just promoted himself tooo...ROOK! I'm glad he's back in the game. and wat's her plan with Chronos? maybe there was some good in her arresting him? guess we'll find out! :) Hikaru is one of bishops, so who's the other? (gotta figure this one is obvious...who else is OLD and wise? lol)

wow. so WTF is Briar doing? She's got people wound in different directions! (hell, even i get lost!) and she finally admitted that she's in love! (at least to herself, next she needs to tell Zuko). she's started to find that she's got no heart in heartless seduction techniques. that will be a problem.

idk about everyone else, but i thought it was kinda sweet that Zuko said her name before he passed out. :) though that might just be me...

update will be in another two or three days!

REVIEW! :)

-TSA