Chapter 1: The Black Dragon's Tea
Starting a new life wasn't something Zuko had expected, or wanted. He was a prince, the heir of Agni, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Ursa, and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko had been born to rule the Fire Nation and its people, to lead them into a glorious bright future.
Then he'd stepped out of line and been banished, a black mark left upon his honor, and a terrible burn upon his face. Cast out to sea to forever search for the long-lost Avatar, a man not seen for a hundred years, the last possible threat to the Fire Nation's vision for the world. Years were spent on a fruitless search, not a trace of the Last Airbender was ever found. No one believed Zuko could possibly succeed.
Uncle Iroh, the one member of his family willing to remain at Zuko's side, the one man who believed in him. He had gently guided Zuko through the choppy waters of his exile. His uncle had continued his training and education as best he could, and gave advice when he felt it necessary, and often when Zuko felt it unnecessary. He'd eased Zuko's struggle in commanding an old Fire Navy cruiser with a cast of misfits as its crew, ones the Dragon of the West had connected with during his own time within the army. A motley bunch they were, and disgruntled at having to hop to the commands of a 'pampered prince.'
In exile, the Fire Prince saw much of the world. Learned how to navigate a ship, by the stars or without. Learned what supplies they'd need to last a long journey, which ports were friendly and likely to carry anything they'd need to restock. And Zuko learned which waters weren't friendly, which held pirates, naval vessels of the Earth Kingdom, even the occasional marauders from the Water Tribes. Zuko knew well enough to avoid them, but at times, his goal overshadowed the need for caution. Even with all the troubles he'd faced and conquered though, Zuko still had nothing to show for it.
Then, fate intervened, Zuko's destiny arrived as he always knew it would.
If only the boy wasn't so difficult to catch. The Avatar, the Last Airbender, Aang. Not the wise old sage Zuko had expected, but a child full of energy, and just as illusive. Across the world the banished prince had pursued him and his companions, even into the far North with its frigid waters and its fortress city. While bearing the wounds of Zhao's attempt on his life, Zuko swam the icy waters of the far north, and nearly drowned in them. Soaked through and shivering, he'd grit his teeth and powered past the cold. The Breath of Fire, his saving grace.
Beaten and bruised, and half frozen, he'd fought the Waterbender. A young girl named Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe. Toe-to-toe they'd danced, she pushed and he pulled, when not weeks ago she'd never posed a challenge. She bested him with the moon, and then he bested her with the sun.
When the blizzard came, he nearly died in it, the arctic tundra was cold and unforgiving. He'd held the Avatar in his very hands, and yet his goal was still out of reach.
After the North Pole, after Zhao's failed invasion, and the Fire Lord branding Zuko and his uncle traitors, they'd abandoned their pursuit. The quest, Zuko's hopes for home and family, for the world to be set to right, they were all lost to him. His own sister started hunting him down, to bring him to his father in chains.
Royals from the Fire Nation were often likened to dragons. They were wise and agile, confident and fiery, powerful and commanding. But if Zuko had been a dragon, then he had long ago been a wounded one, and now his wings were clipped.
Zuko was no more.
Lee had wandered through the Earth Kingdom with his uncle, Mushi, as refugees. Eventually settling into Ba Sing Se, the impenetrable city, and capital of the kingdom.
Zuko had been raised in the Royal Palace within the very center of Caldera City's crater, the beating heart of the Fire Nation. And after that, Zuko was forged in the rough seas the Fire Nation commanded. Zuko had commanded men, he'd fought in many battles, prepared himself to lead his Nation into a brighter future.
Lee was to work in a dead-end tea shop crammed into the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. The neighborhood was just shy of the slums. Pao's Family Tea House was a little more than a rickety shack. A single story, with but a couple green lanterns above the step by the door to make it look at least a little welcoming. A plain sign and the scent of tea wafting out of its windows was all that advertised the shop to passersby.
The walls of Ba Sing Se loomed over them, controlled them. The two exiles were entrapped among thousands of strangers, ones who would turn on them at the slightest hint of their true identities.
Zuko had said as much to his uncle.
"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here."
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." Came Iroh's reply.
Whenever Zuko grew comfortable in his circumstances, whenever his hope bloomed once more, the world seemed to turn on its head. So, here he found himself, one late afternoon, within a crummy little tea shop, watching his destiny wither away.
"Does this possibly come in a larger size?" Iroh asked, fiddling with his new apron.
"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait." Pao poured two steaming drinks, a polite grin upon his face.
Zuko stared at the cup, his brows furrowed. His uncle accepted his warmly, greedily sipping the brew as Pao exited for the back.
"Euugh." Iroh recoiled. "This tea is dreadful! Nothing more than hot leaf juice!"
Zuko looked to the ceiling in exasperation. "Uncle, that's what all tea is."
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible!"
He seized the drink from Zuko's hand, grabbed the pot from the counter, and dumped their contents out the window.
"We'll have to make some major changes around here. It's high time you learned to appreciate the fine art of tea."
What those changes were, Zuko didn't ask. Pao returned with more string, and helped Iroh fix his apron. Zuko's uncle casting miffed looks towards his nephew all the while.
Business was slow in the shop, nonexistent even. So, Pao told them they need only clean the front while they wait, and familiarize themselves with the stock for when a future customer orders.
"Perfect!" Iroh said. "We'll have plenty of time to set you on the path of your spiritual awakening."
"Spiritual awakening?"
"Awakening your soul through tea, of course!"
Of course.
"I've been saving something special for an occasion. And the first day of work at our new job is perfect."
Iroh shuffled through some of the things he'd brought along to the shop. An edge of curiosity worked its way through Zuko, despite himself.
"Da Hong Pao!" His uncle exclaimed, swinging a small container in Zuko's face. "Big Red Robe!"
"A fancy tea?" Zuko asked, nonplussed.
"'A fancy tea,' he says." Iroh mimicked, lowering his voice and furrowing his brow. "This is a great oolong tea, you'll love it!"
Zuko sighed, he had a feeling his uncle was going to be pushing a lot of teas onto him while they worked here.
"I thought the name very fitting, since we're working in Pao's teashop." His uncle said with a wide grin.
"Very creative." Zuko replied dryly.
"I heard this one even won a competition, and was dubbed 'King of Tea!' Can you imagine? A competition for teas! Oh, the variety! We just have to go to one, if they have another!"
"Sure." The banished prince huffed.
"Here, take a look. You should memorize these so you don't pick the wrong one when serving ~customers~." A singsong lilt to his voice as Iroh popped open his little jar of tea leaves. "See the leaves, they're dark, black even, and long and twisted like a serpent. That's where the name comes from. Oolong, black dragon."
They were very twisted, dark and curly. Zuko wasn't sure if they looked like dragons though.
"Many tea leaves will smell different from each other, it's an easy way to distinguish them from one another in a pinch. Take a whiff."
And so Zuko did. These ones had an earthy musk to it, almost a little grassy maybe.
"You're right, they do smell different."
For years, Iroh had been looking for excuses to teach Zuko all about tea, and now his nephew was finally a captive audience.
"Should I be taking notes?" Zuko asked rhetorically.
"If you think it will help!" Iroh added cheerily, shuffling through his things once more before shoving a pen and a small booklet into his nephew's hands.
"Hey, wait-"
"They prepare oolongs differently from other teas." Iroh continued, much to Zuko's chagrin, as he began measuring out the tea. "And this one in particular, they say they pick the leaves once a year, early in the Summer."
Zuko didn't see why that was important, but dutifully began taking notes all the same.
"Here," Iroh shoved a few spoonfuls worth of the tea into Zuko's hands. "This should be enough for a pot. Let me walk you through the steps."
"Fine." Zuko all but sighed out as they moved to the kitchen.
The prince turned pauper drew the water for the pot and set it atop the stove, still hot from Pao's earlier batch. He was just about to throw the leaves in when-
"No, Z-Lee!" Iroh seized his arm quickly, shock upon his face, before releasing a breath and letting go. "Patience, nephew. You must have patience. If you throw the tea in now you will burn the leaves, and draw out unwanted bitterness."
"Alright!" Zuko bit back, a little embarrassed. "So, we just wait for the water to boil?"
"For now." He replied. "Take this time to meditate. Or perhaps enjoy a nice conversation…"
His uncle trailed off with a prompting look. Zuko waited for the pot to begin boiling… it was taking its time.
"So, -uh, what should we talk about?"
Iroh broke out into a sly grin. "What else but tea?"
"Could there be anything else?" But despite himself, Zuko pulled out his notepad once more.
"These leaves are tightly rolled; we should be able to get a few steeps out of them." He said eyeing the oolong.
"So, a customer ordering the drink could get one we've been serving all day?"
"In a manner of speaking. The leaves will unfurl as they take in water and heat, and subsequent brews will be lighter and more delicate in flavor." Iroh added. "The flavor can change dramatically from one brew to the next. And just as the steeps vary in flavor, you must never take it for granted that one oolong will taste the same as the next."
"Wouldn't it all just be the same tea, if they're all made in the same style the tea leaves should brew the same flavor?"
That elicited a chuckled from his uncle. "No. Any number of things may affect the taste; from the climate where they are grown in, to the soil the leaves grew from, the very landscape, and of course how the tea was prepared."
"They prepare them differently but still call them all oolong?"
"Oh, they'll normally label, or a kind merchant will tell you, what region the tea was grown in. But oolong refers to the style of preparation, withering the leaves in the sun, kneading and rolling them under heat, then finally baking, all before ever being sold or brewed. It is this which sets it apart from other teas, and imparts the complexity of flavor oolongs are known for."
"Right," Zuko replied, not quite understanding how doing all that changed the flavor, "so some wither the leaves longer, or bruise and cook them more to change the flavor."
"Most everyone does it a little differently. In the Fire Nation for instance, some farmers will tend not to use charcoal to roast the leaves, as is more common in the Earth Kingdom. This will tend to give Fire Nation teas a fresher flavor, unaffected by the smoke of fuel. Indeed, employing Fire Bending in the preparation gives the teas of the Fire Nation a fascinatingly unique taste, a purer flavor that is difficult for the other nations to recreate."
Zuko felt a swell of pride over that.
"Although many will swear by the taste imbued by burning wood or coal, and even those may bestow different flavors to the tea, depending on their own unique qualities."
The water was boiling now.
"Now?" Zuko asked.
"Remove the water from heat, and let it cool just a little." Iroh instructed while he retrieved a separate teapot.
"How long?"
"It doesn't need to be long, a couple minutes perhaps, you'll get the hang of it with time." Iroh added patiently. "And we can use this time to clean and warm this new pot with our hot water."
"Can't we just add the leaves to this? Why do we need another pot?"
"You can." Iroh said noncommittally. "But it is good to rinse the leaves first. To clean and awaken them prior to steeping."
"Awaken them?" Zuko felt like all he had were questions.
"Pour some of the hot water in here." Iroh handed him the pot.
Zuko did as he was instructed, and let the hot water swirl around the new pot, before dumping it out in the sink.
"Now we are ready." Zuko said more than asked.
Iroh gave a sage nod in reply.
Retrieving the oolong, Zuko added it to the warmed pot, before pouring more hot water over the leaves. He let the water drain away before pouring yet more over the leaves.
Now we wait to steep.
"You'll only need to let it brew for a few minutes." Iroh cautioned. "A little longer if you want a strong brew, a little shorter if you want something more delicate."
"Of course." Zuko could remember that.
"We can bring the tea and the pot of water with us, let us sit together while we wait for customers, to enjoy the tea and compare the following steeps."
The two brought their tea back into the front of the shop and settled into a table.
"So," Iroh struck up their conversation again, "how are you enjoying our first day of work?"
"We've hardly worked." Zuko shot his uncle a quizzical look. "We've brewed one pot of tea, for ourselves."
"Every journey begins somewhere. This is just the first step." Iroh chuckled. "Lift the lid, and smell the fragrance of the tea, it should be ready by now."
So, he did, and it smelled… really fragrant. He'd had some oolongs from his uncle before, and they often had a floral or vegetal scent to them. This one though… this was woody, perhaps. Nutty. Malted? Perhaps just a little smoky.
"I want to try it." Zuko stated emphatically.
"Of course." Iroh had a too full grin on his face. "You'll have to pour the first cup for the customers, if they pay for a pot, then you leave it with them at their table after."
Zuko poured the tea into their waiting cups.
"It is polite to serve guests and elders first." His uncle added slyly.
"I know!" Zuko snapped, much to his uncle's amusement.
"But, I think we can make an exception this once." He added placatingly. "Since you worked so hard, give it a taste."
He didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the cup, a rough and cheap bit of ceramic, porous, and pleasantly warm from the drink it held. He brought it to his lips for a taste.
It was… good.
Really good.
Dark and full, a robust and roasted flavor. Almost… creamy? No, malted. This first steep was smooth and full on the tongue. It left a rather enjoyable lingering taste.
Zuko wasn't sure what words he could use to describe it. So instead, he took another sip. And another.
He noticed Iroh studying him.
"Please, uh, have a taste." He said, pushing Iroh's cup to him, his cheeks warming.
Iroh barked a laugh, before grabbing his own cup. He paused, an almost – cautious look upon his face. Then he too sipped, and his face brightened.
"Wonderful! Lee, nephew, you've prepared a delicious cup of tea."
Zuko felt his spirit lift at that, and couldn't help but break out into a soft smile of his own.
Maybe working here wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
They sat there a while, simply enjoying the smell and taste of their oolong, and the company of each other in the quiet shop.
"You know," Iroh broke the silence, "there's a story behind the name."
"And what's that?"
"Da Hong Pao, Big Red Robe. It comes from the ceremonial robes that scholars serving the Earth King were rewarded with following great achievement. At least, before the war."
Zuko looked down into his cup, a few stray bits of the leaves had settled in the bottom.
"Red isn't such a welcome color in the Earth Kingdom these days, is it?"
"No, it is not."
Zuko took another sip from his cup, Iroh poured more tea into his.
"The story goes, a scholar was traveling to Ba Sing Se to take the official exams. But on his journey, he grew weary, and sick. His illness grew so bad, the scholar collapsed. Fortunately for him, he was found by a monk. Supposedly, using tea from the Kolau Mountains the monk revived the scholar, and in time nursed him back to health."
Zuko couldn't help but think time, more than the tea, was what helped.
"Recovered, the scholar found himself energized, and went on to win first place in the exam. He would, of course, return to thank the monk."
Tea was known to give a man energy and focus, a calm mind.
"As time passed, the scholar learned the Earth King had also fallen sick. And learning from his own experience, he recommended the King should also drink the tea. The King enjoyed the tea's benefits, just as the scholar had, and would reward him with a big red robe. A great honor, showing the scholar's merit."
"A good deed should go rewarded."
"Although, perhaps a little coyly, the Earth King also suggested he hang the robe up on the tree from which the tea leaves were gathered. The Earth King of the time went on to order that all his officials should place their red robes upon the tree as they passed through, and thus the tea earned its name. Big Red Robe."
"The way I heard it, it was the Earth King's mother who was ill." Pao interrupted, a cheerful look on his face.
It seemed he'd wandered in when they were absorbed in conversation. It was clear he'd been enjoying Iroh's story.
"Oh, the story is an old one, and has a few variations depending on the teller." Iroh added bashfully, perhaps a little embarrassed at the unexpected audience.
"It's a nice story, either way." Zuko said.
"I've always said, tea is a great way to ease the pain of a sore throat!" Iroh almost cheered.
Zuko could remember back to the times he was sick, and his uncle refusing to stop offering him tea.
"I've heard that more than a few times, myself."
"But I think I enjoy a few lessons that can be drawn from such a story."
"What lessons are those?"
"If a man stumbles on the road, if he falls, he can still get up. Still go on to great things." Iroh explained, looking to Zuko. "Accepting a little help from a stranger, or a new friend, can be a great blessing. And indeed, a willingness to learn from others is most wise."
Zuko looked back into his cup again, almost empty now. The bits of leaves, black specks, settled in the bottom of the dark amber tea. He poured more tea into the cup and watched them dance, swirling around in the tiny tempest of a teacup.
Lee took a long drink.
And as their first customer finally entered the store, he was thinking all the while.
This was rather good tea.
And how would the next steep taste?
And there we have our first chapter of my tea themed Zuko fic. Kind of wild that I haven't written a fic for the Avatar universe earlier, it's certainly the fandom I've read the most from. This one's a bit of a proof of concept more than anything else, we'll see how any future chapters go. Will I ever finish any fic that's not a oneshot? With the way I go from writing one thing to another, who knows?
Started this fic a couple months ago with that intro portion of Zuko's background, recent events, the early portion of the tea shop. Lots of narration, but that isn't the worst thing in the world. Then I let it go for a month as I focused on other things. Then I was on vacation, and then entertaining house guests, which took up most of July as well. It's kind of interesting seeing how things can get away from you when you're prioritizing or get into something else for a while.
But last night, I finally came back to this. While hopped up on far too much tea (Da Hong Pao), the very one I was writing about, I pumped out the second half of the fic. I've got something of an outline all written up, but want to keep it a bit more flexible, since I thought it would be fun to actually drink the teas I write about Zuko tasting. Da Hong Pao, at least the one I buy, has got to be my favorite tea. Definitely my favorite oolong. So, naturally, it is now Zuko's favorite. If you have any tea recommendations for me to add to the story, to have Zuko try, feel free to let me know.
Of course, we'll hit up some of the go-to teas, jasmine and ginseng. They're Iroh's favorites, so we'll definitely get to them. Maybe juniper once Katara arrives. I also like the idea of introducing a South American tea, maybe tereré. Something a bit different she might have tried in the south and on the journey across the world. Maybe use that to give a bit of a culture difference between the Northern Water Tribe and the South, just for a bit of world building.
If there's going to be any shipping, forewarning, it'll be Zutara. That's my otp for the Avatar universe. Maybe a little Jin before Zutara dominates, we'll see. I don't plan for romance to be the focus of the fic, but I do think it would be nice to explore the Katara wanders into the teashop one day and discovers her former foes angle a bit more. We'll get a good bit of narrative from those two, the confrontation with Jet, that'll be good. But I mostly want to feature the teas, and perhaps a healthy helping of customer service.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, just as I had fun writing it and drinking up the oolong! I'm looking forward to more in the future.