Title: Dragon and the Princess

Prompt: #012 Broken

Notes: IMPORTANT NOTES: This is a direct companion to 'It Comes With a Price' and 'The Tallest Tower'. Again, idea courtesy of jennibare. Well, sort of. I'd contemplated finishing my vauge trilogy with something from Zuko's POV but never got around to it. See, Aang may have considered Katara a prize, and Katara may not have been okay with being a prize, but Zuko would probably throw something of a fit for people treating Katara like a prize. XD

Dragon and the Princess

They all had their legends. Azula had tales of great battles and master strategists, Ty Lee her own imagined lives and escapes and romances, Mai the soft glittering fairytales of Fire Nation nobility. Those legends served different purposes, and of course formed very different women.

Zuko had legends too. Many, many, many legends dispensed by the caring hand of his mother. He learned about heroes and princesses and dragons and towers and saving the world. He learned and absorbed.

Here is what he learned: no matter how true the words that slip of his mouth are, that 'I love you' is more forbidden than anything. Because Aang is the hero, Katara is the princess. Zuko is the dragon. The beast of fire that will curl itself around the princess, protect her from the harsh world and whisper gentle things in her ear, jealously guard her like the precious, precious creature she is. And one day, one day be defeated so that the hero can save the princess. It doesn't matter that she is happiest left to her dragon-man-boy. Aang is the hero. Katara is the princess. Zuko is the dragon. So yes, in terms of fairytales they are forbidden.

That doesn't stop his arms from tightening around her waist. Her body quivers just a bit in his hold. He realizes with a start that she's crying. And not little, dainty tears like he's used to. Like most things, Katara cries prettily. Not now. Her sobs are body wracking. The tears are damp against his neck.

"I'm sorry," he says, a little helplessly.

"No, no, no," she whispers. And he almost can't hear her, because her face is pressed so deeply into his ceramonial robes that it's a wonder she can even breathe. "No. Stay. Please. Just stay. Stay forever."

"Alright," he says, even though he can't keep that promise.

But...maybe, one day, the dragon will rescue the princess from her hero. And maybe, one day, there will finally be a happily ever after.