HEY! So i wanted to post this chapter! It's one of my new favorites...
BTW! no need to worry... Briar won't be with the earth king...that was sheerly for my amusement.
thanks everyone for the reviews!
-TSA
Chapter 15:
'If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.' ~Sun Tzu
The silence of his prison cell was enough to drive him to madness. How many days had it been since he had been deceived by Princess Briar, the future Queen Amaterasu, his previous fiancé, and possibly the greatest traitor in the history of the Earth Kingdom? He didn't bother to count, knowing he'd truly go insane if he was waiting for the chance to be released. Sleep was practically impossible with the sounds of screaming from other rooms, though when deprived enough, he'd find comfort in the sounds.
Pulling himself into an upright position, he began wondering if he was as alone as he thought. He peered through the bars of his cell while his eyes fought the darkness that ensnared him. His wrists were chaffed and bloodied from the chains that bound him, but it was nothing compared to the pain of betrayal. His country, his countrymen, surrendering to the Fire Nation- It was too agonizing to think of. He had failed them, failed to stand strong as their lord.
"Is anyone in here?" he desperately called out, hoping to distract himself enough.
He was even desperate enough to want to hear Briar's voice-
"You must be Chronos…"
His brows arched while he saw a scruffy faced fellow, maybe a year or two younger than himself, crawl out of the darkness of the cell across the way. Struggling to get a better look at him, he saw a pair of bloodshot eyes that burned for a taste of vengeance, "Who are you?"
The other boy laughed darkly, "The name's Jet." He held up his wrists to show the shackles that bound them, "I'm guessing you've been removed from the game?"
"I…" He sighed, thinking over how Briar said she needed him for a final move, "…don't know."
"Ha!" Jet nestled himself against the bars of his cell, "She wasn't kidding when she told me I was a pawn."
"She called me a knight, but I got used like a pawn."
"What's your story with her?"
Chronos managed to spare a cynical laugh, "I was supposed to marry her!"
"I doubt you would have come out of that alive!" Jet was smiling, though it was making Chronos uneasy, "Don't you worry, Milord, justice will be served."
"I don't see how either of us is getting out of here."
"Justice will be served…"
The eeriness of his voice was ringing through the prison cells, and it was sending chills up and down his spine. He retreated further into the darkness while mulling over the chance of survival in this Dai Li guarded prison. He was fighting with himself in trusting Briar with his life in the instance that she planned to use him still in her game. But that didn't answer why he was being locked in a cell. Closing his eyes, he chose to attempt to sleep for hopes that a new day would stop him from descending into madness.
. . . .
Interrupted. Of all the moments to hear incessant knocking, she would have loved it to be another time. It was quite a bit irritating to have been halted in her spinning of another web of lies, but she figured Nalren was going to continue causing a stir if she didn't answer him. Rising from sitting at The Earth King's right hand, she strode down the isle of the audience chamber, well aware that he was intently watching the swing of her hips. Unlocking the hatches with a swing of her hands, she pushed open one of the doors to find Nalren there with his sword drawn.
"Can I help you?" she hissed.
"Where is The Earth King-?"
"Oh, shut up." She smacked him upside the head, "Do you really think I plan on murdering him?"
"The letter says-"
"General, I'm going to trust you with one little piece of information." She grabbed him by his collar and dragged his face down to hers, "That letter means nothing. It was something written to keep the ignorant occupied."
"What are you planning, Princess?"
"If I tell you too soon, then I won't have accomplished anything."
She gave him a tiny shove backward before returning to the audience chamber. Smiling while closing the doors behind her, she mulled over her current situation. The Earth King was still sitting there, waiting impatiently. Seduction was the greatest technique she'd ever learned, but it was growing increasingly more difficult as time drew closer. She didn't want to continue toying with him, and so much of her wanted to see Zuko again.
"Is everything alright, Princess?"
She sat down on the throne steps, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her chin in her palms, "I'm rather tired, Your Majesty."
"Then why don't we retire-"
"I don't think 'we' is the proper term."
"Do you have any affection for me?" he muttered, slightly irritated.
She glanced up at him, still smiling, "I am quite fond of you."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll kiss you." She started giggling, which made his face beam scarlet, "But marriage is a lot to ask of me. You hardly know me!"
"Do I need to know you? Marriages of royalty deal with power."
"Where there is truth to that, there is not often happiness."
She was still smiling as he sat down beside her and held her hand, "You don't think you'll be happy with me?"
"I don't think I'll be happy with anyone!" She laughed, "I don't think Ba Sing Se is the place for me."
"That's a shame…" He gave a little shrug, "Ba Sing Se begs to differ with you."
She rose to her feet, hand falling from his. Bowing her head, she made to leave the chamber in a rush. Her heart felt like it was about to burst, breaking free from its metal encasing. Hands grasped the folds of her dress, but she couldn't stop the burning in her chest, and all that was plaguing her mind was Zuko.
"Milady?"
She straightened herself out, trying to bite back a cry of anguish, "What is it?"
The messenger boy cleared his throat, "A letter from the Lower Ring. For you, Milady."
Snatching the envelope from him, she tore it open upon a glance at the address it came from. She was already walking outside while reading the first few sentences. Tears burned in her eyes as she read Iroh's pained words of Zuko's sickness. It hurt to think that she had caused any of his inner turmoil, and she wanted nothing more than to heal him. Stowing the letter into her sash, she burst outside and ran as fast as she could out of the gates of the palace.
She was sure that several soldiers were calling after her, but she couldn't care less. The wind that beat through her hair until it was untangled from her bun was not enough to stop her. Her shoes were long gone in her strides, her feet allowing for the road to tear the skin apart. Hiking up the skirt of her dress, she tried to ignore the burn in her chest from her lack of endurance, and she wasn't close enough to the apartment to stop running.
Knees shaking, she braced her hands on her knees upon reaching the teashop, but she still had a ways to go. She straightened out while meandering down the streets where slants of sunlight marked the roads while the sun dipped low below the horizon in a mix of red, orange and purple haze. She stopped a moment to watch the sunset, wishing that there was a memory with it, but there was nothing. She had no memories of the sunset…
When she reached the apartment, she felt like her legs were going to give out on her. She furiously knocked on the door, and when no answer came, she decided to let herself in. Finding no one there, she rushed over to Zuko's room, yanking the screen door aside to find him lying across the floor, shivering underneath several wool blankets. Her heart throbbed while she fell to his side.
"What's happened to you?" she muttered.
Upon hearing her muffled voice, one that he hadn't heard in weeks, Zuko rolled over onto his back to stare up at her, "Br-Briar-?"
She quickly held his hand as he held it out to her face, pressing his palm to her cheek, "I'm right here. I'm here for you."
"I've be-been dre-dreaming of you."
"Don't try to speak." She felt his hand shaking in hers, "I'm not a dream anymore."
He turned away from her, coughing violently enough to draw blood to his lips. Wiping the smudge away weakly, he bundled himself under his blankets while trying to bottle his cries of agony. When he felt Briar's arms around him, he nestled his head in the crook of her neck, "I-It h-hurts…"
She gently kissed his forehead, "You said I could hurt you." She bit back tears, "Why I let myself do it, I'll never know."
She held him as tight as she could, whispering nonsensical words while his hands fought to hold her. His fingers dragged down her arms while he strained to keep himself tucked against her. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she felt him shaking against her, groaning as the fire in his chest stabbed at his heart, shredding it to pieces. He was yelling for help and all she could do was pray that the lapse would pass.
When he finally lay still in her arms, she felt his fingers twist into her hair, combing out the knots. She half smiled as he stared up at her, amber eyes lost to suffering, though he forced a smile to break across his pallid face. He pulled her down with him as he collapsed against his bed cot, nestling himself against her bosom to hear her steadying heartbeats. Why the sound helped him, she couldn't guess, but she was happy to see him at peace for a moment.
"What have I done to you…?" she whispered.
"I-I wo-won't lis-listen to th-them." Zuko held her hand in his, pressing it over his heart no matter how much his wrist shook, "I nee-need yo-you, Br-Briar."
She felt those tears again as he rolled over to the side as another coughing fit seized hold of him. When he looked back at her, face plagued by anguish, she threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Zuko! I never meant for all this to happen!" She shook her head furiously, fighting against all confessions as he embraced her, despite his weakened body, "I don't want to keep lying to you, but I have to." She tore herself from his arms, staring down into his amber eyes that were fluttering to stay open, "I need you too, Zuko."
He reached out to her, fingertips brushing her cheek, "I h-have t-to tel-tell you som-something."
"Pl-Please don't-!"
He silenced her with a finger pressed to her lips, "I lo-love y-you."
Tears flooded from bloodshot eyes while he huddled under his blankets and fell asleep. She listened to his breathing for awhile, mindlessly wiping away the tears that streamed down her flushed cheeks. Why did she have to feel this way? Running her hand along his pale cheek, she shivered as a coughing fit grabbed hold of him him, though he was hardly thwarted from his sleep. She bit down on her bottom lip, wanting him to hear her, "I love you too."
She rose to her feet, deciding it was best to leave him as he was. It was obvious to her that she was causing his pain, despite how her maddened heart wished it wasn't true. When she closed the door to the apartment, she heard voices coming closer. Dodging into the alleyway, she watched Hikaru and Iroh walk inside the house, talking quietly as if they knew she was listening. She shivered against the night air while slowly walking further into the shadows.
But the comfort of being alone was stolen from her as she heard the sound of leather shoes padding across stone. Brows knitting, she went to reach for her knife in her sash, though only to find that it was not there. Defenseless? How could that happen? She didn't have any further a chance to think on it before a blade hooked around her throat. She cried out upon the feel of a slit in her flesh, inching closer and closer to that pumping jugular vein.
"Hey, there…"
OK! So, Chronos and Jet just had some serious "bro time". And Jet's talking revenge? What's in store for Briar? and her dear Knight is sick, so who's going to help her!
that's what other chess pieces are for...haha
the king is still in question! who's really behind Briar's schemes?
I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED BRIAR AND ZUKO'S MOMENT! omg, it's possibly one of my faves- but he didn't hear her say she loved him! aww... :(
please review! i'm serious about how it inspires me... :)
-TSA