A/N: Okay this one is kind of a long chapter I ended up going with A half and Half POV thing. Hopefully you all like it ^_^

Chapter 3: Offers and Dreams

I awoke to light shining through the window of my room on the ship. It was completely silent except for the occasional creek of the ship and the sound of the water slapping against the sides of the ship. The crew must have still been asleep. I got up and walked out onto the deck. Looking up at the elevated deck I noticed the man steering the ship nodding his head and closing his eyes then shooting straight up. He must have been driving the ship all night, I thought to myself. I walked back down below deck and found the captains quarters. As I knocked gently on the door I was answered with a gruff "What do you want?"

"For you to take your shift steering this ship before we crash because the night captain is about to fall asleep." I said smiling to myself as the day captain realized who I was.

This time I was met with a much more professional "Y-yes, sir. My apologies for my previous behave – "

"Don't worry about it just get ready and take your shift." I thought back to a time when I would have chastised him about his behavior. That time seemed so far away now. Almost as if it were another lifetime. I guess you could say it was. I wasn't entirely ashamed of the person I was back then, but I wasn't proud of it either. I know now that I was just a lost soul looking for comfort. My father had made me believe the only way to do that was to make him proud of me. I guess somewhere inside I knew that would never happen. But if there is anything I am proud of from that lifetime it is that, even though a part of me knew it was impossible, I still tried. I was proud of that.

I stayed on the upper deck watching the sun rise until the rest of the crew was awake. Then I walked down to the lower levels and found my uncle in the kitchen. He was sitting at one of the tables drinking (you guessed it) tea. I sat down beside him. He offered me a cup and I accepted it.

"We will arrive soon." I stated simply. I knew he was just as nervous as I was.

"This is your last chance to back down, Zuko. You must not take this lightly." He cautioned.

"Uncle, I am not going to back out of this." I said as my eyes begged him to understand my need to do this. I had do get as many people free as possible. Keeping prisoners, from a war that my great-grandfather had started out of his anger towards avatar Roku, is wrong. I know it is, and yet I can only help the ones who let me. How fair is that?

Finally our ship docked on the outside of the boiling rock. We were escorted to the lift – which had now been repaired from our last visit. As the ride went down slowly I looked around at some of the guards. One gave me a glare and when she talked to usher us off of the lift I recognized her as the one I had fought when Sokka had gone in to see his girlfriend.

"Hello," I started. Might as well try to end all arguments now before someone got hurt. "I'm sorry about what happened last time I was here. If I hurt I really didn't mean to and I am sorry if I did."

"Don't sweat it." She said and walked away, leaving us with our new guide.

"Follow me, please," The new guide said moving his hand in the direction we started walking. "We have ordered all of the female prisoners to come out to the courtyard for viewing. You will choose three women and interview them as you like."

"What if he only finds one or two women who don't look like they would kill him on the spot if they had the chance?" Uncle was always trying to look out for me.

Well of course you can choose as many as you like, we just assumed three would be a good number to start with and narrow your choices from there. Although we do still encourage you to interview them. Some seem very pleasant on the outside, but we have had a few guards injured from underestimating them."

I heard my uncle gulp and I suddenly felt a little less secure than I had before. I started to have second thoughts but quickly tucked them away. This was about doing what's right for more people than just me. At least this way I would be giving someone a chance. We walked out into the courtyard and I saw the disgusted faces of all the prisoners. None of them looked happy to see me. But as I walked down the line I changed my mind. There was one girl who had no emotion on her face at all. I couldn't tell if it was because she really didn't care or if she was extremely good at hiding her emotions.

She wasn't as hurtful on the eyes as most of the other prisoners. I looked around at the rest of the prisoners and there were the few who seemed to be calm but had a catlike gleam in there eye as if they were preparing to trap their prey. I looked back over at the strange girl but she was looking down now. I could still see her eyes though and what I saw in them made me involuntarily shiver. I saw emptiness. There was no emotion in her eyes at all, just blank; lifeless.

Somehow right at that moment a breeze caught her hair. I wasn't sure where it had come from, perhaps one of the cooling vents or something. But she lifted her face so the air could blow gently across it. Then it happened. She opened her eyes and looked directly into mine. It was amazing how drastically her eyes had changed from the lifeless daze I had seen in them before. I now tried to catch as many emotions I saw, as possible.

I saw pain, sadness, anger, fear – all things you would expect to see from a prisoner of war. But there was something else. Another emotion that came in glimpses, almost as if it were there but being chased away and hidden. It came and left so fast I couldn't tell what it was.

Finally the gaze was broken when my uncle leaned over and said "See anything you like?" I knew he meant it in a sarcastic manor and was probably waiting to hear that I had overcome my moments of mindless stupidity and was ready to go home. But the gaze from the girl had made me strangely curious. And I suddenly wanted o speak to her, comfort her. Run my fingers through her hair which was both as white as the moon and yet as black as the night. And most of all I wanted to send forever looking in those light blue eyes and unmask their hidden emotion.

But instead I just answered "Actually I do."

Uncle looked at me as if I had just grown a second head. "Who could possibly look at least half-way decent and not look like they are going to kill you the first chance they get?"

"Her," I said pointing to the mysterious girl. By now she was looking down again. I wondered what she saw when she looked into my eyes. My eyes…she probably saw a wounded and scarred coward. I wouldn't blame her if she did. I'm sure that's what everyone sees when they first look at me. It was a lesson I would never forget. To never back down to someone when you know you're right. And to never give them the benefit of your pleas for mercy.

Kona's POV

I couldn't stand to look in his eyes any longer. Luckily the old man next to him caught his attention and he looked away. My mother had always taught me that first impressions were almost never true. Half of me hoped she was wrong and half of me hoped she was right. But they were split reasons. I couldn't decide if I wanted him to be the struggling man filled with pain and regret. Or if I wanted him to be the man filled with honor and courage, the one with a tender heart. Part of me wanted him to know what pain felt like and yet part of me wanted him to be different than the rest of the fire nation people I had dealt with and heard about. I saw so much in his eyes and I wondered what he saw in mine.

When I was young my father had told me "Your eyes can show the world to you…but they can also show you to the world." It had taken me a long time to understand what that had meant. I had finally realized that it meant your eyes can give you away and show your emotions and sometimes even your past. He believed the eyes are the most powerful thing in the world. Even more powerful than the greatest bender of all time. Because someone's eyes can tell you who they are. Bending can't always do that and even when it does it doesn't give as much insight or emotions as the eyes do. That's what my father believed, but he didn't know that knowing who someone really is isn't as powerful as he thought.

Finally they left and the man in charge told us to go back to our cells. There were a lot of mumbles and grumbles but I didn't make a sound. I had never expected to be chosen as a wife to the new Firelord. They had told us when they lined us up that the new Firelord – previously known as the Banished Prince – was coming here to choose a wife. Some of the women had plans and plots to get him alone and then kill him. Some said they would never accept such a proposal. Other said he was really just coming to get more servants. There were many things that people said but I never listened to any of it. I knew it would have no effect on me so I ignored it all. Except for that gaze…

My cell door swung open and it startled me at first. Ever since word got out that the war had ended most of the previous guards had been replaced with guards who supported the "new" Fire Nation way of life. So the assaults had also stopped. We didn't often get visitors and I looked at the two guards curiously as the grabbed me by the elbows and walked me out of my cell. What really shocked me was they hadn't put the chains on my wrists or ankles. Didn't they realize I could escape their grasps almost too easily and run from them? Of course here I guess there was nowhere to run to. But even still, if I had wanted to kill one of them I had definitely had more than the opportunity now. They must have known this because they seemed abnormally tense.

We finally stopped at a door and they knocked on it. "We are ready" was the only answer they got. They pulled the handle down and nudged the door open just about an inch before stepping back and motioning me forward. I wondered what could be going on. Maybe they were going to try to get me to sign that contract again.

But instead when I walked in I saw the new Firelord standing next the old man with a guard on each side of them. The man motioned to the seat and said "Please, sit. We just have a few questions for you."

I sat down in the chair making sure to keep my expression blank. It had worked better that way for me before. If they saw fear they would take it as a hint that they could push you around. If they saw defiance they saw it as a way to break you until you feared them. If they saw no emotion they usually lost interest.

"I'm sure you have heard that I am searching for a wife," The man began. "I guess I should start with my name. My name is Zuko, I am the new Firelord and, as you have most likely already heard, previously known as the Banished Prince. What's your name?"

I looked up at him to see he was searching my face, my eyes, for some sort of display of emotion or at least an understanding that I had heard him. I answered simply with "Kona." That seemed to satisfy him for the moment.

"Hello, Kona," He said smiling politely. "I like that name. If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up in here?" I gave no answer and after a couple of minutes he continued. "How long have you been here?" Still I did not answer him and he seemed to be much more patient with me than I had expected. However one of the guards standing by wasn't as patient.

"He asked you a question. Show him respect and answer him!" I just simply looked at the guard with the same blank expression. I looked back at Zuko when he waved the guard off. "My apologies my lord." He said before leaving the room.

"I'm not going to force you to answer my questions but it might make it easier for me to understand your situation. And to also understand why you won't sign the contract." I looked back down. I knew this would have something to do with that. "Please just give e something, anything." His desperation touched something inside and I started to talk before I even knew I was going to say anything.

"I don't know why I'm here, but I've been here for five years now." I answered plainly.

"Okay," he seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "Why won't you sign the contract? Don't you want to go home to your family?"

I felt the pain in my throat and the sharp sting in the back of my eyes. I blinked once, willing the unwanted tears to go away. I wouldn't give him that. I wouldn't let him see me cry. "I have no family. They were all killed the day I was taken prisoner. And I won't sign your stupid contract because there's no point." I felt my anger rise and I tried as hard as I could to mask my emotions but it didn't seem to be working.

Finally when I almost had it under control he continued. "Don't you want to at least try to start a new life?" I couldn't hold it back anymore and I felt my emotions pour out of me. I tried futilely to bring them back in but some still managed to slip out.

"How could you say that? You don't know what I've been through! And even if you did you probably wouldn't care! When you've been put through hell everyday for the past five years you can't just start over! It's not that simple! You can't just forget everything that's happened!"

He smiled and part of me wanted to kill him right there. But then he spoke. "I'm glad we finally got somewhere with you." It through me off guard and I didn't know what to say.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I would rather watch you explode on me than watch you sit there so lifeless." He wasn't smiling anymore.

"Well I'm not signing your stupid contract so forget it." I retorted.

"That's okay because I'm not asking you too. Remember what I said when we started this? I'm looking for a wife."

Had he gone completely insane?! I had just blown up on him, told him I wouldn't sing the contract saying I wouldn't kill him, and he wants to marry me?!

"Look I don't know where you have been these past couple of minutes, but I think you have some serious head damage or something. You did hear me say I won't sign your contract, right?"

"Yes I know that." He said smiling. I started to wonder if he was really crazy.

"That means I refuse to say I won't kill you."

"Yes"

"So I might just kill you anyways if you were to give me the chance."

"But you wouldn't." he said confidently.

"What makes you so sure?" my own attitude amazed me. He had caused me to go from lifeless zombie to defiant rebel just like that.

"Because if you were going to kill me you could have and probably would have already." He gave me a smirk and I felt the left corner of my mouth tug up in a half smile at his wit.

"Maybe I'm waiting until you get me out of here so I can kill you and escape into freedom." It seemed like my entire personality had just changed.

"Then why would you object to the idea of coming with me and being my wife?" He had a curious gleam to his eyes as if he were trying to figure me out.

I couldn't continue the teasing very long before my emotions were worn out. I guess it would take a lot more than just a little witty banter between strangers to get me completely normal.

"I will give you until tomorrow morning when we leave to give me an answer."

"An answer to what?" I was confused on exactly what he was asking me to do.

"You tell me," he said and stood up. "Will you at least allow me to escort you back to your cell?" He smiled politely and I felt a small bit of color rise to my cheeks. Not enough for anyone else to notice but just enough for me to.

"Fine," I replied putting back on my emotionless mask.

We walked back down the hall and stopped when we got to my cell door.

"Don't forget to give me your answer tomorrow morning before we leave."

"What time do you leave?" I asked and then realized I seemed interested. Although a part of me didn't mind that he knew I was interested in his offer. Yes, his offer, not him.

"Shortly after sunrise," He replied.

"Then I will see you then. And you will have my answer." I turned to go back into my cell and he gently grabbed my elbow turning me toward him again.

"Goodnight, my lady." He said lifting my hand to kiss my fingers gently. I knew he could see the blush that crept across my cheeks now.

"I-I…Why did you call me 'my lady'. I mean I am definitely nothing like the girls from your scene." I stuttered. I couldn't imagine why he would treat me like a high-born, high-class woman when I was merely a prisoner in his prison.

"If you accept my offer then you will be Lady of the Fire Nation. It's only natural for me to give you the title." He explained.

"Goodnight Firelord Zuko." I said and walked into my cell. I walked over and sat down on my bed. Tonight was unexpected. Three years without showing emotion and he had brought so much of it out in less then an hour. She knew she had to do better. Hiding her emotions from guards was easy. Hiding emotions from a charming man would seem to be much harder. But I had to try. I couldn't let him see my weakness.

I lay on my bed and folded my hands behind my head. My mind raced with thoughts of tomorrow morning. Questions like "What if I say no?" ran through my dreams. I imagined spending the rest of my life in the day-to-day basis in this prison. I shuddered in my sleep; I could not take that anymore. "What if I said yes and killed him?" I shuddered before I even imagined the scene. I couldn't kill anyone, let alone a man who has shown me nothing but kindness (and a bit of slow wit). "What if I say yes, and then sneak away once I'm free?" I imagined living life in the woods or whatever inn I could find to let me stay for cheap. I'd have to find some kind of work, whatever work I could find. After years in a prison I didn't think I would be able to stand it.

I thought about the only other choice there was. My final option. "What if I said yes and stayed with him?" I dreamed of how it would be. Maids, servants, guards not holding me in but protecting me. I dreamt of a mans gentle arms around me. His arms around me, in a loving, caring way. Not the way the guards were when they assaulted me. But the way it's supposed to be, with a husband, someone who loves you. And I fell asleep in his gentle arms.

A/N: Okay that was chappie three! Let me knwo what you thought of it. I know part of it seems kind of like old fashioned style lol I was watching Titanic when I started typing the section where they are in the room and they are talking. And then I just decided to add in the hand kiss because I wanted to appeal more to Zuko's respectable nature. (Hey I know all you girls out there reading this wouldn't mind a guy with a little class ^_*) ANyway I know I called Zuko a "man" a lot in this but he kind of is in a way I mean he wasn't far from being one when the series started and he grew so much more mature as he went on. Oh tell me what you think of the long Chappie. Should I do them all longer like this or do you like them shorter or would you prefer a mix between the two? Come one I want to hear from my readers! Tell me what you think and any ideas you have for me ^_^ Untikl the next chapter

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