A/N: The start of a new arc and we finally enter the Taku portion of the story. The layers of Iroh and Lian's relationship will be revealed through this new arc.
Chapter Seventeen – The City of Prosperity and Remembrances:
The city of Taku was nothing like it was, on the last days of the Hundred Years War. Barren, ruined and forgotten. Currently, green and white cloth banners hung above every establishment and house on the main streets, like a city reborn from the ashes. For General Iroh, it was a pitiful remembrance because his nation ruined the city. Taku City was the center of exchange and commerce between the northern Earth Kingdom and the eastern territories, but it was also the ancestral homeland of the Qian family. The people of the city were preparing for the Spring Lantern Festival, which was an important occasion on the Earth Kingdom calendar, despite Taku being a city-state in the United Republic of Nations.
He turned to Jen LuXian, dressed in light turquoise robes bought from one of the many robemakers in the city. For Iroh, buying something nice for Jen LuXian was formality because of the progression in their relationship. Iroh knew Jen Lian was cut off from his inheritance by both sides of his family. He tried not to look at Jen LuXian, knowing things between them changed and didn't want to ruin what goodwill there was. The friendly chaos of the city was typical, when a festival was approaching. It was the same thing, when the Fire Nation had a grand festival. Chaotic preparations were to be made by every citizen of the city.
From where he stood, Iroh looked upon the prosperity of Taku and wondered how many years it took to rebuild the city, enough for the original citizens to return home. He gazed upon Jen Lian, from where he was. A kiss under the moonlight was not enough to stave the prince's desire for the exiled young master. Hiding under Jen Lian's robes were marks on his skin, courtesy of the firebending prince. Despite his reputation for sleeping with people in every port, Iroh never entangled himself with sages or priests. Jen Lian abstained from worldly desires for five years and took his vows as a priest, but those vows will not last.
A man that beautiful could not abstain forever.
"...Sometimes...I wish Lian's heart was never stolen by someone else. He never told me, who stole his heart first and I never let it go." The United Forces general pondered. Sometimes, the royal firebender was petty, but never showed it in public, only in the privacy of his thoughts. Iroh had more important things to think of, than lamenting on not being the first man Young Master Jen fell in love with before Su Yong. Such pettiness aroused Iroh's jealousy, because he hated the idea of anyone else being loved by Young Master Jen.
Shame seeped into the prince's soul. No matter how hard Iroh's grandfather worked to restore balance in the world. Nothing can take back the destruction of Taku and how the original noble families were massacred, by the firebenders who invaded the city. Only few families remained, but were social climbers, who never would have gotten opportunities anywhere else. The firebenders destroyed the city, once the centre of commerce and trade in the Earth Kingdom, was the reason opportunistic nobles infested the city. Whilst the original noble families, whose lineages had been in Taku for centuries were wiped out, save for the Qian family.
"Your Highness...You hardly said anything, since we left the robemaker's shop." Jen LuXian asked, in a tone that would get him whatever he wanted from his admirers.
The general turned away, looking downward and not at the other man. "I wanted to take in the sights and smells. I haven't been to Taku in years."
"I'm thankful for the robes, you didn't have to buy anything for me."
"I choose to do so, Your Grace. Not wearing it will be you, not accepting a gift from royalty." The firebender said coolly.
Jen LuXian rolled his eyes, but humphed under his breath. "You think you are the only man, to give me gifts. You are delusional. My other wealthy admirers have bought me robes fit for a king, jewels and gemstones from all over the world and even had an estate built in Bin-Er for me."
"I can give you that and so much more."
Those words enticed Jen LuXian to blush through his cheeks, not too much to change the colour of his face. Iroh Zhu was a prince and could give Jen Lian anything he wanted, but thinking about the gifts bought by other noblemen and a fellow prince in Omashu stirred Iroh inside. The son of the Fire Lord was civil with Fu Cheng of Omashu, but never liked him admirably because their hearts were for the same man.
"Taku is a different city. It looks just like what I imagined in my books and so much more." Jen LuXian said.
"I'm glad you like it." General Iroh replied.
"...How long has it been, since you used your firebending."
"When you went exploring in the alternative health shops in Su Oku Grove."
The way Jen LuXian's eyes stilled, were haunting and silvery. Those irises trembled, indicating the man at General Iroh's side wasn't okay. "I understand why...I murmured Su Yong's name and it made you angry. I should have apologised."
General Iroh shook his head, and grasped onto Jen LuXian's wrist and looked him in the eye. "It doesn't matter to me. That man was special to you and I have no right to be jealous of it. I don't care what love you had for Su Yong. It is your past and I shouldn't be petty about it."
"We don't call each other by our titles or our names here. We use false names, I will be Zhu Xian and I'll think of a name for you."
"Whatever you choose, I'm fine with it."
"I would like to know about your time in the city before."
"Many things happened here. The wine bars, the pleasure houses and a merchant lord or two being thrown into the river."
"I hope it wasn't you, who did it. Imagine Fire Lord Izumi's noble and honourable son being a bully to merchants." Jen LuXian said sarcastically.
"My grandfather hates bullies. He would never be in peace, if one of his grandchildren became what he hated."
It was difficult to steer the conversation, where General Iroh didn't want what happened in Su Oku Grove to be a factor. The way he touched Jen Lian before, was more casual and friendly, typical of sworn brothers, but that night the way Iroh touched Lian was impassioned and sexual. Iroh was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh, but he hadn't had sex since he invited Tan Meijing into his bedchamber, after the homecoming festivities. Iroh fucked Tan Meijing, in the way he fantasised about doing to Young Master Jen, but he couldn't because Lian's heavenly purity couldn't be ruined.
Deeper in the recesses of his mind, Iroh Zhu wanted to ruin that heavenly and honourable image Jen LuXian had, to dirty him and leave him in a red and gold robe to indicate he was his and no one else can have him.
When Iroh and Jen Lian escaped the Crimson Matron years ago; they found the nearest coffin in Gu Village and hid in there. In the confines of the coffin, the royal firebender was on top of the young master, to the point of being in between his legs. The red dress Jen LuXian wore in disguise, was torn to shreds exposing his muscly legs. The discomfort of being in an enclosed space, was nothing in comparison to being close, to the man Iroh fell in love with. Iroh's head rested on Jen LuXian's chest, hearing his heartbeat and how he reacted. Being close to Lian in a suffocating environment was worse, than the screams of the people, the bloodbenders tortured and killed for their matron.
If General Iroh had been a cruel man; he would take advantage and fondled Jen Lian, no matter if their lives were at risk. He was a model of self control, despite his body betraying him and being aroused in a dangerous moment, that heightened the sense of eroticism. Both men couldn't move, because the size of the coffin and the indication of what happened. Iroh felt disgust at the time; his priority was getting out of Gu Village alive. His body wanted to steal a moment of pleasure from Young Master Jen. If Jen Lian didn't attach himself to his handsome, but stone-faced bodyguard, they would have given into, the forbidden attraction they had for each other.
The mission against the Xieye Sect changed everything. No one will understand what General Iroh and Jen LuXian went through; they came out alive, but were scarred forever. So many people died in Gu Village, to the point of a once normal village becoming a ghost town and a horror story in the Earth Kingdom. However, the cheerful, vibrant air in the Taku City calmed General Iroh, to keep his mind from going into that place, believing there is no hope for any good in the world. There was hope, as Avatar Korra came of age and took her responsibilities seriously, which took the burden of saving the world off on General Iroh and his generation of heroes. It was time to rest, but the general didn't want to, because he had been doing this job for years.
"Your Highness..." Jen LuXian murmured, breaking the general out of his thoughts. That heavenly rich tone of Young Master Jen, was always there to pull Iroh out of the dark places in his mind.
"...Is there something, Your Grace." General Iroh replied.
"No...you were in your own thoughts again."
"Remembering things."
"Is it good or bad?"
"Both...I don't want to dwell in the past. My grandfather taught me, I can learn from my mistakes but to never dwell on them."
"You hide your true self. When you are with me, you laugh and express emotions other than dullness." Jen LuXian smiled.
The firebender was amused. "Lian...since Avatar Aang died, our generation had to take the Avatar's duties and responsibilities. Solving the world's problems and helping people. A burden was on my shoulders, I became a pseudo Avatar, because I had the name and the status to get things done. I took the job as if it was my own. As I rose through the ranks, the job got bigger and the politics got more complicated. I was a warrior and a politician at the same time, which is kind of what the Avatar is."
There was sadness in Jen LuXian's darkened silvery eyes, he grasped the prince's forearm. "I...appreciate all you did for me."
"I can never refuse you, Your Grace. Ask me for anything, and I will deliver." General Iroh declared. He was hard to move, even his sisters and many cousins found it hard to manipulate Iroh into doing something. It was easier to be swayed, by a beautiful man and his darkened silvery eyes, than his family members.
Jen LuXian folded his arms cross his chest, his eyes stern and willed. "You shouldn't, Your Highness. You are not a mule, you are allowed to not carry the burden for once." The earthbending master removed his hand from Iroh's arm, not wanting to be seen, in order to keep his anonymity in the city.
"You...care about me."
"I do...I hate that Avatar Aang's death made you the world's mule. To do everything without consideration for your wellbeing."
"Lian...you shouldn't feel so aggrieved for me. I can fight my own battles."
"Someone should stand by you for once...like you do for others. "
General Iroh's chest pained, Jen Lian's words hit him. For all the years he knew people, Iroh never had someone be so strongly loyal to him. Loyal to Iroh as a person, not the general or the prince of the Fire Nation. The Second Young Master of the ascetic and self righteous Jen family saw beneath the persona Iroh put on, tore it all down and saw him as human. No wonder Jen Lian touched Iroh, never turning him away, because he wanted to be hugged and held, as a reminder he was still human and not a heartless mecha tank. How fortunate were people to meet their soulmates in this life.
Iroh met his soulmate in an Omashu classroom. Where he didn't know anyone, studied under a foreign teacher and amongst the sons and daughters of Omashu's elite society.
The sights and smells were overpowering, with food being sold at every corner. General Iroh wondered what Jen Lian liked to, after eating two steamed buns earlier on. He knew Jen Lian didn't eat often, due his belief of only eating when truly hungry, as a way of empathising with the poor and starving off sin. It was something the general understood, after seeing the poverty in the southern region of the Earth Kingdom. It caused the once optimistic firebender, to become a cynic and have no hope in things getting better in the Earth Kingdom.
There was hope and that hope stood by his side. Iroh shook his head, because what he thought was treason and should not be uttered in the streets. The city of Taku, maybe a state in the United Republic of Nations, but the people kept their Earth Kingdom heritage and supported the Hou-Ting Dynasty.
It was rare for General Iroh to get out of his office, and travel to discover who is he was, outside of being a general and a prince. He considered retiring from the United Forces, following Commander Bumi and Lieutenant Tarrick into a life of peace and plenty after years of fighting. There was a part of Iroh, that didn't want to let go and he grew comfortable with how he was living. At thirty years old, Iroh knew this milestone was different. It was Iroh's last chance to settle down. Most nobles in the Fire Nation got married, before they turned thirty and his elder sister Mizuki got married when she was twenty six to Gong Lichen.
In the eyes of the Fire Nation, their prince was a spinster, an old gentleman, who wasn't good enough for any noble lady of the Fire Nation.
The truth was, Iroh didn't want to conform to the life, he was supposed to live. He joined the United Forces to escape his mother's matchmakers and the hordes of noblewomen dreaming of being his princess consort. Iroh knew he didn't want to get married and be the noble citizen his sister was, because he wanted more for his life, than being stuck in a palace for the rest of his life. There was no one Iroh wanted to marry, other than the man beside him. The city of Taku was one of the only places in the world, where same sex lovers can get married. All Iroh wanted was to be closer to Jen LuXian, despite the complications of their shared past hanging over them.
The general and the young master found themselves in the eastern part of Taku. Men and women in darkened green uniforms filtered out into the streets, coming out of many establishments. General Iroh was familiar with these kinds of establishments, because the eastern streets were home to the many pleasure houses in the city. Iroh visited pleasure houses before, under the bad influence of Commander Bumi and Lieutenant Tarrick. As a prince, being seen in a pleasure house wasn't good, unless the patrons kept Iroh's visits to themselves. The city was vibrant and full of life, which saw the pleasure houses being a fact of life in many Earth Kingdom cities.
A pink building was in the middle of the street, with the characters of The Panda Lily Beauty House written in the common script. The establishment had gold cloth hanging above the balconies, but it stopped the prince for a second. General Iroh was no stranger to the pleasure house in his sight, a lot has happened to him behind those doors. The people in uniform were the Provincial Guard of Taku, under the command of the city's governor. It was normal for members of the Provincial Guard to be in pleasure houses, but the people thought their local officers were shameless, for going to pleasure houses. The pleasure house workers appreciated the regular customers, they had from the provincial guard because they had money to spend.
The prince of the Fire Nation knew The Panda Lily Beauty House was popular, but there were many other pleasure houses in the city. He found the workers in the pleasure house to be exquisitely pretty, but none where compared to the beautiful members of the Teng family. Usually, it was shameless for a prince to be in a pleasure house, because royalty and nobility had concubines to satisfy their base desires. Iroh's best friend Tarrick never had to worry about his reputation, when he went to pleasure houses. The Southern Water Tribe's progressive social norms were lax on public figures, than they were in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom.
General Iroh saw Jen LuXian roll his eyes, and making a sound with his tongue. "Shameless...the provincial guard in Bao Yun would never be this lax." Jen Lian said, in a chastising manner. The idea of freedom in pleasure was foreign to a man, who came from a family, whose spare members became priests and sages.
"There is nothing wrong with guardsmen and women paying for sex, Your Grace." General Iroh replied, in a haughty tone.
"The provincial guard need to do their jobs, anything can happen in a city like this."
The firebender leaned forward, with his lips close to Jen LuXian's left ear. "Are you worried, something will happen to you, Lian?" Whispering, whilst General Iroh grasped onto Jen LuXian's wrist, in an attempt to seduce him.
"No...It's because I don't want to be found out." The young master replied, with his face blushing red and pushing the general off him.
"Is that why you use a false name?"
"Your Highness...it's not easy to run away. To forget the man you once were and live differently. I want to be a better person and help the people of my nation. I can't do that with people fawning over me like a king."
"I never saw it that way, Your Grace."
There was a stern look, in Jen LuXian's eyes, which made them shine brighter. "All that matters is being here and with you."
"Do you meant it, in a romantic way or in the way of sworn brothers?"
"Could be both ways."
"You can be frustrating to deal with sometimes, Jen Lian." The firebender said, placing a hand over his forehead. The young master of the Jen family can be irritating sometimes, but it was because of the way Lian was raised and how he viewed the world, through a self righteous mentality. General Iroh didn't care about Young Master Jen's flaws, because he loved him otherwise for his personality and didn't want him to be someone else. If Iroh wanted another kind of person, then he would never have fallen for Jen Lian.
"Did you visit The Panda Lily Beauty House?"
"Yes...I did. With Commander Bumi and Tarrick, when we needed to escape from our lives."
"What happened?"
"Commander Bumi needed cheering up, he was in a bad state after a relationship ended. Lieutenant Tarrick suggested we go to Taku and drown our sorrows for the weekened. The city had the best wine bars and good restaurants for comfort food."
"Should I know the details?" Jen LuXian inquired.
"For all the years, I have known Bumi. He never shows how vulnerable he is, not until the relationship with Senior Colonel Ma ended."
"Commander Bumi must have loved this Senior Colonel Ma very much, to be emotionally devastated by the end of their relationship." Jen LuXian said.
"He was and we cheered him up, by going restaurant diving. Good food always make you feel good, after emotional hardship."
"I'm surprised. I always saw Commander Bumi as a strong man."
"He's fine. Bumi's been in other relationships since then, and it's nothing to concern yourself with."
The prince shook his head, knowing such concerns didn't matter to Jen LuXian. It was Iroh's problem, since joining the United Forces and having Commander Bumi be his mentor. The general was in no doubt, empathy was Jen LuXian's best trait and he could learn from it. Chatter from the people in the streets, took Iroh's mind of the past. There was nothing, that stopped the United Forces general from blushing red, whenever he was with Jen LuXian. Iroh's complexion made it easier for blushing to appear. He envied confident people, who were not afraid in pursing who they liked. Jen Lian had a way of arousing the most disciplined of people.
Iroh was only in Taku because Jen Lian wanted to celebrate the festival.
A few pleasure house workers stood on the balcony, waving their cloths and staring at Jen LuXian. The general was used to Jen Lian being looked at, but it didn't mean he didn't feel jealousy because any woman would be deemed suitable for him, than a man from the Fire Nation. The sight of the Panda Lily Beauty House workers gazing at Jen LuXian wasn't unusual, but it was something General Iroh had to deal with. The man Iroh spent ten years yearning for was a beautiful man. It was nice for him to be appreciated, even if it was for reductive reasons.
There were many beautiful people in the Fire Nation, but none of them could hold a candle to Jen LuXian.
On the streets of Taku, there were signs of the Spring Lantern Festival all over the city, from the flower shaped lanterns to the food being prepared for the day. General Iroh celebrated a version of the spring festival in the Fire Nation, but not in the way the people of the Earth Kingdom did. The Summer Lantern Festival was the big occasion in the Fire Nation, one day, Iroh will take Jen Lian to experience a festival in his nation. By then Iroh hoped to be retired from the United Forces and having the time to commit to a relationship. Molten gold eyes glanced at Jen Lian in turquoise, in which his heart skipped a beat because he was worth it. General Iroh wasn't foolish, the man by his side had been a heavenly treasure. The envy of all in the Earth Kingdom.
"I know...it's not the usual way you dress, but thank you for complying." Jen LuXian said.
"Like you said, I have to disguise myself because the people, won't take kindly to Fire Nation people in their city." General Iroh replied.
"Years may have gone, but the people who live in the city don't forget their exile."
"Like the Qian family."
"It's tragic for them...the other families were not so lucky to survive."
"My nation is responsible for it."
"Your Highness, you don't need to live in guilt for what your forefathers have done. It will eat you up and kill you inside."
"My noble friends don't understand, despite their families being loyal to my grandfather."
"What the people of Taku went through and suffered. They deserve the peace and the joy of a festival every year for a hundred years."
The firebender looked up into the sky, amercing himself in the softness of Jen Lian's voice. "They do... A lot more than what has been done to them."
"I learned of the original families from books and scrolls, but it's lamenting to never meet a survivor from those families." Jen LuXian said sadly.
"Your Grace...I understand, why my presence angers the Qian family."
Young Master Jen quipped, putting his hands inside his sleeves. "Your Highness...not everyone is going to like you. You are fortunate not to be in the presence of Kuei Daojing, named for the old king and he nurses his hatred for my family, like an infant having their favourite toy taken away. The Daojing family are the most reverent in being anti-Fire Nation and are the most staunch royalists in the Earth Kingdom."
General Iroh and Jen LuXian moved from the area, where The Panda Lily Beauty House was and kept walking. "What kind of women, do you like Your Grace."
A blush appeared upon Jen LuXian's cheeks. "What do you mean? Do you assume I am tongzhi with no taste for women. I'm not Ning Renshu." The young master told the truth, because General Iroh was similar, in having female lovers in the past and finding a soulmate of the same sex.
"I haven't asked you in years, Your Grace. When you became a priest, did you abandon your desires."
"...Let's see...I always had an infinity for secondborn daughters. Middling daughters of a family, whom put their attention towards the firstborn and spoil the youngest. I picked Second Lady Ning to kiss me for a reason."
"I never would have thought it. The earth priest still finds people attractive." The firebender chuckled, realising his words were meant in sarcasm.
The general was shoved forwards, as he wasn't nearly shoved onto the ground by accident. "Did you use your earthbending on me?"
"You were being unreasonable, Your Highness. When you will learn to curb your shameless tongue."
"When you curb it for me, Your Grace." General Iroh smiled, because he could be as shameless as he wanted around Jen LuXian, just to incite the other man. Iroh was no stranger to being punished for his bad behaviour, but as he got older, he found punishment to be sexually arousing.
The general wondered, the events of what happened in Su Oku Grove when he and Lian got drunk. Iroh was free in his inhibitions, free to say what he wanted to say to Jen LuXian. Iroh wanted Jen LuXian, not hiding whatsoever because he was done hiding. Looking at the other man at his side, Iroh surviving the bombs in Republic City was a blessing, because he would have died before he told Jen Lian he loved him and was sorry for how he treated him. The prince never feared death, but his true fear was the cost and how it affected the loved ones of the soldiers, who died on his watch.
General Iroh vowed to never let what happened in Republic City happen again.
The way he kissed Jen LuXian was hungry, tantalising and something he wanted over and over again. The man kissed many men before, but nothing compared to the kiss with tongue, he had with Jen Lian. He wanted Young Master Jen for years, found Lian cute when he was young and lusted for Lian, when he was an adult. General Iroh kept his distance, because he believed he wasn't good enough for the Earth Kingdom's heavenly treasure. Jen Lian was more treasured and beloved, than the Earth Kingdom's only princess Pei Ling. There was something about the beauty of the Teng family, that attracted people of influence and status to them.
"You shouldn't be ashamed of having them look at you, Your Grace." General Iroh said, in an iron tone.
"The pleasure house workers see priests and monks, as fair game because those kind of people swore vows of abstinence. The provincial guard bore them and the workers want excitement, by taking men who are forbidden to them." Jen LuXian replied, turning his head away from the pleasure houses.
"Have you been in a pleasure house before, gentle flower?"
"No...I am not the man, who does. But, I know people, who go to pleasure houses."
"Is it because you are a priest now?"
"I have always been this way. I was raised in a family, whose spare sons and daughters become sages and priests. It's the way my morals have been shaped, because my family puts religious piety and respect for the spiritual body above everything."
General Iroh's lips were near to Jen LuXian's ear, whispering deeply. "Do you want to sever your vows of chastity, for one night?"
"With the Panda Lily Beauty House ladies or anyone else?"
"Does it matter?"
"It matters, if I am going to throw my vows away."
"It's not throwing you vows away, it's living like a human being."
"Not everyone is interested in sex, Your Highness. My great aunt Ruyi lost interest after losing her husband to the Fire Nation."
"Most of your family members are like that, Your Grace."
"My Uncle Xizuan didn't. He was banished from the family, for daring to rebel against tradition."
"You are an exile too."
"I never thought I would end up like my uncle. I never understood what my uncle's banishment meant, until I listened to him in Omashu. For me, it's like a fresh start, having no familial obligation to get married and produce heirs. I can live my life, how I want and love who I want."
"You are still who you are, Your Grace. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
A blush appeared on Jen LuXian's cheeks, indicating his nervousness. "Thank you...Your Highness. You have always been there for me."
The words said, was an affirmation for General Iroh's loyalty being appreciated. He felt guilty for leaving Jen Lian before, but didn't understand the implications of his actions at the time. Iroh stood by Jen LuXian, with the sky painted orange-pink, due to the incoming sunset. General Iroh left his worries behind, leaving his post in the United Forces to travel with Jen Lian, because of a promise he made and never wavered from it. It was peace time in Republic City with political crisis to handle, which meant the general could relax and worry about the troubles of the world.
As the sunset was near, there was relief no one discovered Jen Lian's identity. General Iroh didn't want the trouble, despite wearing Earth Kingdom clothes to disguise his Fire Nation appearance. It was the only way, Iroh could blend in the city. From the corner of the prince's eye, Jen LuXian looked the spring flower he was, but something was there by the reflection in Jen Lian's eyes. It was incandescent, a shining light in the midst of a forever changing world. The ambience in Taku was the city quieting down, before the night comes because of the many activities to do in the city.
The men left the eastern district behind, entering the central district of the city where the most of the inns were. General Iroh yawned; the journey from Su Oku Grove to Taku on foot was rigorous and he relied on Jen LuXian's compass. It was refreshing to be out in the open, travel the old fashioned way, before airships and Satomobiles became the norm in the United Republic. Every action needed to be looked at, because Iroh Zhu was Fire Nation and Fire Nation people were hated amongst the people of Taku. The residents of Taku were the descendents of those, exiled from their homeland and their grandchildren returned to rebuild the city.
For General Iroh, it was nostalgic coming back to Taku, after staying in the city for Tarrick and Bumi. He never felt included in Tarrick and Bumi's adventures because he was always the proper and serious prince. On the other hand, Jen LuXian's hair lifted in a gust of wind, despite it being put in a topknot. The general had no doubt Jen Lian, had the kind of beauty princesses and noblewomen will spend years trying to perfect and will fail. His heart skipped a beat, due to the humidity and the sun doing down. Iroh trusted himself, to be an asset to Jen Lian and not ruin his joy because he ruined the earth master's happiness before and had to make up for it.
In the distance of a city in remembrance and prosperity, there was a peace and tranquillity General Iroh hadn't felt in a long time. His days consisted of long hours and endless politics. Iroh could be in the open air, not have to worry about anything. The young master looked at the prince, with those inviting eyes and had hope. Every day on this journey, Iroh sheds parts of his image, being a harsh and dull general in front of his troops and the politicians in Republic City. His shoulders relaxed and no stress was on his face, because Iroh didn't have to deal with the irritations of work.
However, Iroh was torn between two sides. He was honoured to serve the United Forces and carry on the great work of Grandmaster Sokka, but Jen Lian's dark shimmering eyes pulled him from his dedication to his duty, because a man like Jen Lian needed Iroh's attention and undivided.
"I'll be here for you in return." The royal firebender thought, in reply to Jen LuXian's thanks to him. For all Iroh did for Lian, when others turned against him. For Iroh, it wasn't difficult to stand by Jen Lian, even going against everything he was taught about respecting elders in society. Anything can be done for love and General Iroh didn't care, if he threw the rest of his future ambitions away for love, because he was tired of the demons in his head. The general knew this was his best chance, to experience happiness outside of obligation and live freely, with the man Iroh nearly gave up the United Forces for.
Things will be different. General Iroh wasn't going to give up the chance to make amends with Jen LuXian. Some of the amends have been made, as the general is willing to shed the image of being detached and be more open with Lian. The sunset in Taku was beautiful, because the sun faced west and General Iroh knew the sun was the brightest in this part of the world. There was nothing, stopping Iroh from thinking about leaving everything behind and following in the footsteps of his namesake, to give up perfection and power to chase his happy ending.
PS: I wanted to paint a picture of what Taku is like after being rebuilt. The Spring Lantern Festival is based on many Chinese festivals and it is a big occasion in the Earth Kingdom. Taku has many Earth Kingdom descendants and the festival also celebrated by people of Earth Kingdom heritage all over the United Republic.
- Iroh and Lian's relationship is opening up, once the ice has thawed between them.