A warm breeze danced through the fire blossoms that lined the palace garden. The morning sun was not at its peak yet, so the rays did not scorch the ground too harshly. The fresh air washed over Katara's face, she closed her heavy eyes and drew as deeper breath as she could. Stepping out a second after her, holding tightly to the handles of her chair, Zuko embraced the fiery air; that built up steadily inside his chest, fuelling the heat and life that rushed around him. He had brought her to the Water Garden, her garden. Before they had married, Zuko had had this beautiful garden constructed for the water tribe woman. It had many entwining ponds and streams, all regimentally lined with white paving's; that sparkled in the sun like melting ice. Intermittently along the outer walls of the palace that enclosed it along one side, there were spouts of water, the rushed quietly down into a trough of bubbling water. All of the flowers in the garden were of a blue colour; aqua-violets, Yue-lilies and more. Zuko effortlessly pushed his wife over a small arching foot bridge that crossed them over a small pond, into a patch of lush grass, entirely surrounded by tall brushes and reeds, a light canvas roof was hoisted above, supported on several bamboo shoots, casting a cooling shade onto the two. The sound of the rush of the water around them rang in Katara's ear, like the laugh of a child; she could feel the life slowly returning to her eyes. She placed a nervous hand upon her stomach, still blazing its ravishing heat.

'Tara, Are you okay?' Zuko squeezed her shoulder a little. He knew that there was as much help as they would ever need; only a signal away and the entire infirmary's staff would be on hand, but he still worried. Katara gently nuzzled her head onto his hand, sighing,

'Zuko, I'm fine… don't worry yourself so much.' But worry is all he could do, Zuko felt so useless, he was not a doctor, he wasn't a healer, he wasn't a water bender. He was exactly what Katara didn't need right now, more fire, more heat. They lingered a moment, in the shade of the canopy, taking solace in the privacy of the tall reeds.

'How was your meeting Zuko?'

'What? Tara really?...' Zuko walked around to kneel in front of her, holding both if her hands in his. 'You're in so much pain… and you're concerned with politics?' He almost chuckled, his one good brow raised quizzically.

'I care Zuko.' She protested, ripping her hands from his and lifting his face in both hands to look into those golden eyes. She stroked the rough scarred skin of his left cheek with her thumb. His face looked so worn and tired; these past few days have not been kind to him.

'I care about you… your work…tell me' she smiled, though fighting not to cringe at the shooting pang that rang from her belly.

The heavy metal door slammed angrily behind Hao, he paced strongly down the long, ornate corridor that would lead him directly to the throne room. Lines of guards eyed him suspiciously, noting their stares he filtered his aggression to bubble beneath the skin, unnoticed. He halted in front of the regiment of stern faced guards that crossed before the intimidating, pillared doors to the throne room.

'I need to speak to Former General Iroh, immediately.' Hao spoke strongly, but on noticing the hesitation in the men's reply he added, 'It concerns the wellbeing of the Fire Lord and the Royal Family.' That did it. The guards parted and pulled open the heavy doors. The throne room was vast. An enormous hall, dripping with red and gold detailing, with sculpted pillars that ran precisely straight down the room in ten regimental lines. The dais stood at the far centre of the hall; a platform raised above the rest of the room, the Fire lords place sat slightly higher than his lady's. Behind it there would usually be a great wall of fire, and a thinner screen of flames would run in front, but now they were extinguished, leaving instead in their place a few scorched panels an ashen tiles where the flames had lapped at the wall and floor. Katara's water tribe heritage hadn't penetrated this far into Firenation protocol, the throne room was as red and fiery as tradition dictated, something's had had to remain steadfast. To the left of the dais, was a rather understated metal door, the Fire nation emblem blazed smartly across it, the Fire Lords study. Hao crossed the vast space and rapped a strong fist against the cold metal.

'Enter.' The voice inside was commanding and sure, but far more easy and fluid than Zuko's.

Iroh sat almost completely dwarfed by the flanks of stack of scrolls that covered the large desk, Fire Lord Zuko had a lot of catching up to do. Behind him a round ornate window, peered out on to a quiet, private family garden, a giant sakura tree rooted in its centre alongside a peaceful turtle-duck pond. The view inside however was far less peaceful. The many scattered forms and scrolls littered the room, not exactly messy, but not ordered. The tension lingered in the air like a cloud of stress that followed over the occupiers head.

'Master Hao. What an honour for you to visit the Fire Lords study. I am afraid that my nephew is currently away from the dais today.' Iroh indicated to a chair that sat before the desk, and Hao sat obediently.

The royal couple lay lazily in the tall grass, by the side of a vast lake; the Water Garden back onto the great lake Ember. Zuko lay half propped up on his muscular forearms, eyes fixed somewhere along the distant horizon. Katara lay across him, her head cradled in his lap. The long grass was pressing its maze into her side as she half dozed in the now soft rays of the late afternoon sun. Her under arm was curled beneath her and came to rest upon her belly, her slender fingers tracing delicate circles in the tort crimson fabric of her dress. Her other arm slowly extended out towards the lake, catching Zuko's cautious eye's with her movement. He didn't speak, but watched her with interest as her hand pulled at the thin air; a small spout of water bubbled gently on the lakes surface. The column shakily stammered up and down, and then violently jerked under the tension. Zuko saw the muscles twitch in her forearm as she tried in vain to tighten her grip. His heart sank; he knew this was hard for her, over the past few months she had gone from a water bending master, at the peak of her element. To struggling to hold the slightest pull on the water. He squeezed her shoulder gently and flinched almost immediately as the small spout of water crashed back into the lake. He heard her sharp puff of annoyed breath.

'You'll be strong again Tara.' His grasp tightened on her shoulder. Her body eased back down, lying heavily upon his lap. Zuko pulled the hair back from her face, she was hot- starting to burn up again.

'Tara?...' here was no reply.

'Tara? sweet?...' He leant over to see her pale face. She was again asleep, the exhaustion had won. Zuko ran his fingers gently through her tangled hair- the humid air made it so wild that Katara would often give up any hope of taming it into any style. He smiled as she unconsciously tugged away as his fingers unsnagged a small knot of hair. He decided to let her sleep, a few moments out of pain. He contemplated just how he would get her back into the chair that stood abandoned just behind them. A few months ago it wouldn't have been a problem, but now they were both exhausted and Zuko was terrified of hurting her, she seemed so fragile and weak. He knew that with one call, a number of infirmary staff would be there to escort them back, but he didn't want that, not today, if he could help it, he just wanted to care for his wife, a day of just him and her.

He lay back in the tall grass, one hand stroking through Katara's hair, the other still wrapped over her shoulder, feeling her body rise and fall as she dreamt. Zuko allowed his own eyes to drift shut, taking one last glance at the sky that slowly turned into a dusky orange. He wandered how his uncle was doing in the study, and set his mind to work on just how he would handle the inevitable backlash to come from the fire nobles once their next war tax arrived.

'That's quite alright Former General Iroh, it is actually you I had come the see.' Hao's glare was fixed dead on the former general, cold and steely.

'Please, Master Hao, I have not been a General for some years now, it's just Iroh in these present days,' he smiled, though noting his expression, 'How can I help you Master Hao?'

'I find myself wandering, why you recommended me so strongly to the palace?'

'You proved yourself very skilled in delivering Prince Lu-Ten. I thought you the best physician to deliver another fire heir to our nation.' Iroh inclined in a small bow as his sentence ended.

'hmmm… But Lu-Ten was not the sole heir to the Dais… you still had your brother, Ozia and his family.'

'Indeed. But I trust that this had no influence in your attention to the delivery.' Iroh raised a quizzical brow.

'No…' Hao stared down at the ground between his feet; it did not appear that Iroh had any knowledge of his accusations. Perhaps he truly had no idea of the treacherous plans to confirm an heir?

'I recommended you to the palace because I know you to be an excellent physician and an honourable man Master Hao.' Iroh's voice was low but strong, he met Hao's eye with a fixed stare. 'I know that you will be strong and act in only the best of intentions.'

Hao opened his mouth to speak but was cut off-

'I apologise Master Hao, but my nephew has left me with much for more work than I had first realised. Please forgive me, but I must return to these documents.' Iroh's smile was filled with a knowing that Hao thought he understood. He was aware of the politics to this birth? But what was the best intentions that he is expected to act to? The firenation needs and heir, but is risking the Fire lady's life really the way to secure it? Silently he rose to his feet, more confused and angry than when he had entered.

'Thank you for calling Master Hao. I have no doubt in your abilities.' Iroh's voice was very serious. 'You should never allow a destiny to be pushed upon you, we all have our own destiny, and if we follow our own paths, we will one day find it.'

'You should never allow a destiny to be pushed upon you, we all have our own destiny, and if we follow our own paths, we will one day find it.' Hao pondered on this as he sat dully in his infirmary office, he had peered in on the Fire Lady's room, she had not yet returned. He knew that he should never had allowed her to leave in the first place, his heart hammered against his chest. He hoped that her absence would go unnoticed. He tried again to unravel the message in Iroh's last statement, but the words just ran in circles around his head.

Suddenly the office door slammed open, hitting the wall hard, almost buckling the frame.

'Where is Fire Lady Katara Hao?'

'She-... I... She is with the Fire Lord. I-...'

'You let her leave the infirmary?'

'Yes I-...'

There was a deep exhale of annoyed breath. the man that stood squarely in the doorway shook his head before advancing menacingly into the office. Hao backed away nervously.

'Master Fo Chow, please, The child will not be harmed, every measure has been taken to protect her Majesty and the child.' Hao spoke down to the tiled floor, not daring to look up.

Master Fo Chow was the official head of staff, he mainly oversaw the hiring and firing of the serving staff, saw that the palace was run efficiently and according to protocol. He sneered at the elder man, a amber glint flashing in his eyes. His fiery fist slammed into the wall a mere inch away from Hao's face, scorching the pristine white of the paint work.

'I may get away with transferring a silly little water peasant here and there, but you would need a much more convincing story... heart attack in the office perhaps? At your age, it's highly believable.'

Hao swallowed hard.

'Do you job Master Hao. It is your duty to the nation to secure an heir to the dais, you seem to forget this.' Fo Chow removed his hand from the wall, a flew crumbs of plaster falling with a clatter to the ground. 'You do not wish to attract the attention of the Fire Lord, treason is a crime you pay for with your life in the firenation.'

Hao summoned a little courage, 'So...I do as you say, or be silenced. Or risk being condemned of treason...and again, be silenced?'

Fo Chow smirked, turned on his heels sharply and exited the office. Expose this plot and die at the hands of a powerful, evil traitor, or even put to death as a traitor to the dais myself... or allow the Fire Lady to die and secure a future heir to the nation...what is my destiny?