Elyrie let the engagement ring roll between her thumb and index finger and sighed. She sat on her bed cross-legged and was wearing a robe. Her damp curls were combed back after she had washed herself. When she had come out of the bathroom, her eyes fell on the pompous engagement ring on her nightstand. She had picked it up and played with it for quite some time now, pondering about what tomorrow would look like.

It had felt like a dream, getting away from her real life. Even if she was hurt in the process, she was secretly glad it happened. These past few days felt like a small vacation with Zuko and Uncle. And it felt longer than a mere three days, but of course a lot had happened in those days. She chuckled and placed her ring back on her nightstand. As long she kept it off, she could pretend it wasn't almost over.

She pushed herself off the bed and started to get dressed. She opened the dresser and took out the two dresses Uncle had bought for her. They truly are beautiful, she thought when laying them down on the bed.

The first dress was made of a burgundy mousseline and trimmed with black lace on the bodice, creating an elegant form. The other one was made of silk in the colour of a rose. The bodice was tight, closing with white buttons in the front, but the skirt hang loose. The first one was more mature, while the second one was more playful. She smiled and picked the second one.

She whistled when she closed the buttons in the front and inspected herself in the mirror. It is beautiful, she thought with a smile, Uncle really has taste when it comes to this. She smiled and spun around, causing the skirt to twirl around her. She giggled and shook out her curls, which were almost dry. She pinned the front locks back again, but left out a few strands for a more playful look. She felt a bit mischievous, but decided that if her stay here was almost over she would make the most of her last day.

When she entered the room, she saw Uncle and Zuko already waiting.

Uncle nodded appreciatively at her appearance. "You look wonderful" he said with a kind smile. Elyrie gave him a broad smile. "Thanks to you, Uncle", she said lovingly, "You truly have an impeccable taste."

He let out a small chuckle and looked at his nephew. "Prince Zuko, don't you think Elyrie looks beautiful?" he asked innocently. Zuko cleared his throat when he looked at her. She gave him a playful smile and made a twirl, her dress flowing behind her.

He rolled his eyes at her, but could not deny she looked truly beautiful. He shot an annoyed look at his Uncle, who wiggled his eyebrows at him, but nodded to Elyrie. He was glad that lunch was served at that exact moment.

Elyrie sat down and picked up her chopsticks. They had spicy dumplings for lunch, her favourite. She suspected Uncle had something to do with this.

"It is delicious." she said to Uncle. He nodded, but was too busy enjoying his meal to answer. She giggled at the old man.

Zuko ate in silence, taking small bites and chewing slowly. He wasn't listening to them, but thinking about their schedule. Jee had informed him a few minutes ago that they had a favourable wind, which meant they should arrive earlier than expected at the Phan Hue Harbour. With a bit of luck, they would arrive before sunset. He played with his dumpling, pondering what to do with the new information. He could contact Zhao about their changed schedule and let Elyrie be picked up this evening. Then he would be free to pursue the Avatar again, who was probably heading farther north. They had lost a lot of time already.

But when he looked at the blue eyed girl sitting across him, he started to doubt. She could stay one more night, he mused. After all, they probably wouldn't depart again before the next morning. He would probably lose only a few hours, nothing more. He convinced himself that it was not worth the trouble to change the schedule.

In the meantime, Uncle had finished his plate of dumplings and patted his mouth with a napkin. He looked at Elyrie, who took her last dumpling.

"You know," he said after lowering his napkin, "This is probably your last evening with us." Elyrie nodded with her mouth full. "We must make it a memorable evening then." He continued. Zuko looked up with a frown, curious what Uncle meant.

"What do you think about a music night?" he asked Elyrie with smile. Elyrie's eyes lit up and her smile widened.

On the other side of the table, Zuko groaned at the suggestion. He hated his Uncle's music nights. Ever since they bought a tsungi horn after their encounter with the pirates, his Uncle had been pushing him to participate.

Just when he was about to protest, he saw Elyrie's face lit up at the suggestion. "Can we really?" she cried out, "I would love that!" She clapped her small hands together and looked expectantly at Zuko. He met her sapphire eyes, full of happiness.

Zuko sighed and knew he could not refuse. "Yes, we can." he mumbled.

Uncle smiled at him with fatherly pride. Maybe she could convince him to play the tsungi horn as well, he thought amused.

"Then I start preparing for tonight." Uncle said when he stood up. Elyrie rose up as well.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked, still smiling. He pinched her cheek as he passed by and shook his head.

"No, dear, I can manage. But you have to do me one favour." he said while looking at her with a small flicker of hope in his eyes.

"Of course, anything!" she nodded.

"Will you sing for us tonight? I would so very much like to hear you sing again." he asked while giving her a proud look.

She smiled shyly, but agreed. "I would love to." she replied with a half smile as a pink blush coloured her cheeks.

After Uncle had left, Elyrie made another twirl. "A music night!" she happily said, "What a wonderful idea".

Zuko rolled his eyes and shook his head, but smiled amused.

"Come," he motioned her when he stood up, "Let's get some fresh air." She nodded and almost tripped walking out of the door. He again rolled his eyes at her. She kept chatting about the music night and bombarded him with questions about it. He was ashamed to admit he actually disliked the music nights, but luckily she was too busy being enthusiastic to pay attention to his answers.

When they reached the deck, the sun had warmed the metal ship. It was a cloudless day and Elyrie breathed in the salty sea air. She loved the sea wind through her hair. She looked at the seemingly endless sea and extended her arms, as if she wanted to fly away right there.

Zuko looked at her and felt warmth spread trough his chest. It was impossible to be moody around her; she was a ray of sunshine everywhere she went. Even he had not been brooding as much the past days, which meant something.

She suddenly looked at him with her big blue eyes and grasped his hands. Surprised at her sudden movement, he stopped.

"I never properly thanked you!" She said with a genuine smile, "For saving my life, I mean. And I loved spending time with you and Uncle these past days!"

"You are welcome." he said while looking down shyly, "And I never thanked you for your help." he added warmly. She smiled and turned her face towards the sun, leaning forward on the railing.

"I meant to ask you, why did you help me?" Zuko asked as he leaned his elbows on the railing, "You could have gotten in serious trouble if it was discovered."

Elyrie turned her face to meet his golden eyes. "Because Zhao wants to capture the Avatar out of vanity." she answered, "You had a different reason. And I hoped you would treat the Avatar with more respect once you captured him."

She gazed back to the blue waves in front of her. She would rather have all together that they did not need to capture the Avatar as if he was some sort of prize, but she did not say it out loud. It was something she had pondered before she went to the Temple. The deck was stacked against anyone who wished to stand between the Avatar and his destiny to restore balance to the world; the fact that Avatar Roku appeared and destroyed an entire Temple proved it.

Last night - after the storm - she had spent her night thinking about the change the Avatar had brought with him when he was discovered after hundred years. The entire Fire Nation was in state of alarm, while the citizens of the Earth Kingdom allowed themselved to hope. She had seen it on Kyoshi Island and again in the eyes of the Fire Sage who defied the others to help. Zhao kept repeating that the Avatar was the only one who could stand between the Fire Nation and its victory.

The greatest threat to the Fire Nation, that were his exact words. And precisely that was what stroked with her own beliefs. She had been raised with the idea that the four nations were created to keep balance to the world. Air, Earth, Water and Fire. All had their strengths and weaknesses, but all of the elements were needed for the world to live in harmony. But the Avatar had vanished and the Fire Nation had expanded its territory to share the greatness with the rest of the world.

Her mother, however, had learned her from a young age that this wasn't what the rest of the world saw. They didn't see the greatness of the Fire Nation: they saw foreign invaders taking over lands which had belonged to other people for ages. As a small girl, she had never understood how this could be bad if the country brought prosperity to make the other lands better, even if they were foreign. She had never asked her mother about this, but she did remember her words.

She had been raised in the Capital, far from any fighting or the war. But once she saw the damage on Kyoshi Island, she realised that this wasn't a way to spread wealth. It was the way war worked: by destructing everything in its path. And now the Avatar had reappeared and began his quest to restore the balance. How could that be a bad thing? The Fire Nation had enough, more than enough to have left well enough alone.

Zuko noticed the change in tone, however. "You sound as if you care?" he asked with a frown. Elyrie sighed and kept looking at the dancing waves.

"I do." she answered truthfully.

"Why?" Zuko asked while deepening his frown.

She rested her elbows on the metal railing. "Because I do not like the idea of the Avatar, the bridge between the spirit world and the human world, being hunted like some prized animal."

Zuko straightened his back at this answer. "I only can return home after I capture the Avatar and you worry about that?" he answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. She of all people should understand why it is so important for him to capture the Avatar.

"I know," she replied without looking at him, "and that is why I helped you. But that still does not mean I agree with all of it."

Zuko's temper was tested, but he took a breath to calm himself. "So you think my father was wrong to ask this?"

This time, the answer came without hesitation. The subject of the Fire Lord and why he banished his son was something she never considered understanding, because it had always been clear to her what the problem was. She turned and looked him straight in his golden eyes.

"Yes." she said, plain and simple, "the Fire Lord wages a useless war which only brings destruction to the world. The Avatar brings hope, yet he wants him captured."

Elyrie regretted it as soon as the words had rolled off her tongue. Not because they were not true, but because she knew how much they would hurt Zuko. And she was right.

Zuko's nostrils flared. "You think my quest is useless?" he growled, his voice twisted with contained anger.

She bit her lip, weighing her options. She knew he wanted to hear that his father was using the war as a way of sharing the Fire Nations greatness with the world. That he expanded the empire so his son, the Crown Prince, could take over the greatest nation in history. However, she had never lied to him before and was not planning to start today.

"Yes." she answered again, "We've been told that the war was a way of sharing the Fire Nations greatness with the world, but you know as well as I do that it is a lie. War only brings destruction and pain."

Zuko clenched his jaw and walked away. "You are naïve. What do you know about politics?" he sneered at her.

Elyrie turned around and looked at his back. She knew he was angry with her, but she did not care. He needed to hear it from someone who cared for him.

"You are royalty, why don't you know more about diplomacy?" she retorted with her arms crossed. "Fear is no way to lead a nation. True loyalty comes from love and devotion."

He quickly turned around and approached her. She was not intimidated and met his golden eyes.

"You sound like my Uncle, -." He began, but she quickly interrupted him. "Good, I wish you did." His words failed him when he met her determined eyes. With an angry growl, he lit up his fists and blasted flames into the sky. Then he walked away without saying another word.

Elyrie sat down against the railing, feeling empty.

"I just effectively spoiled the last day" she softly said.

Iroh hummed to himself as he finished the last things on deck and smiled when he looked at his work. He had decorated the deck with a dozen candles, lighting up the night sky. All the instruments had been brought on deck. There were at least ten different instrument, varying from a pipa to a tambourine, so anyone could play what he wished. The sun had set just after they reached the Phan Hue harbour, which made the timing ideal. Without anyone needing to steer or command the ship, they all could participate. He had invited all the crewmembers and they slowly started to arrive on deck. Iroh poured them drinks and made sure they felt comfortable.

But one person was missing. He had knocked on his nephews door earlier, but was rebuffed. Zuko refused to participate, preferring to stay in his dark room. Iroh had tried to convince his brooding nephew by saying it was Elyrie's last night on the ship, but was shot down quickly.

"I don't care if she stays or leaves." Zuko angerly answered before turning his back on his uncle.

Iroh sighed. Something had happened between them, but he was not going to push his nephew. If he wanted to stay alone in his dark room, that was up to him. He refused to let Elyrie's last night be spoiled by that.

Elyrie came onto the deck last - as Iroh had intended - and gasped in surprise. It was beautiful! Uncle motioned for her to come closer and had saved her a seat. She sat down as he poured her a cup of tea. She thanked him and looked around the circle. The whole crew, at least a dozen men, had come to celebrate. She had seen most of them and smiled, but felt a little bit of regret since she knew Zuko was not here. Iroh saw her eyes darken and patted her on the back.

"Don't take it personally, dear." he said in a cheerful voice, "My nephew despises music nights. He never attends them." She gave him a wry smile - knowing that it wasn't the music that kept Zuko away - and took a sip.

"Captain, would you do us the honour?" Iroh said. Jee nodded and took the pipa. The music night is apparently a regular thing on the ship, Elyrie thought amused.

The captain started a beautiful love song while Iroh played the tsungi horn. It was beautiful, especially when Jee started to sing. He had a rich, deep voice. She applauded loudly when he was finished.

Then, more crewmembers started to play their instruments in a more upbeat tempo. Elyrie clapped along to the rhythm, smiling and cheering. The men started to dance and she smiled when the helmsman approached her. He took his cap off and politely asked her to dance with him.

"I would be honoured." she replied and took his hand. She followed his lead and had a wonderful time. The helmsman was much older than she was, so she adjusted her pace to match his. Nevertheless, the helmsman smiled at her and it told her that it had been a long time since he had danced with a woman.

"Mind if I cut in?" he heard the captains voice ask the after a new song had started. The helmsman nodded and let go of her, but not before he kissed her hand and smiled at her. She smiled back at the older man, flattered by his kindness.

Jee was younger, so they moved faster. He placed his hand around her waist and swung her around the deck, with the crew clapping and cheering. She laughed and danced until the song had ended. Out of breath, Jee guided her back to her seat. Iroh poured her another drink and she gratefully took a sip. Even if Zuko was not here, she had a great time nonetheless. The crew continued their happy folksongs. Uncle even tossed her the tambourine and she jumped back up and played along, tapping the tambourine to the rhythm.

After a few songs, she sat down again. The moon was full and the blue light formed a pretty contrast with the warm flames on the deck. Uncle took his seat next to her and gave her a small nudge.

"Would you sing something now, dear?" he asked Elyrie. She smiled and nodded. She knew what she'd liked to sing and walked towards Jee. She told him about the song and he nodded, familiar with the melody. Iroh clapped his hands to get the attention of the crew.

"My dear men, tonight is Elyrie's last night on the ship." She felt herself blush at the disappointed noises the crew made. "Yes, I know it is a shame. However, -" Iroh continued in a cheerful voice, "she has agreed to sing something for us. And I can assure you, you have never heard something like this in your lives. Her voice can break your hearts." He finished. The crew took their seats and applauded.

Elyrie felt herself blush even more at Uncle's words, but took a breath to calm herself. The song she had chosen was from her favourite play. She had sung it a hundred times before by herself and felt comfortable with it. But she would be lying to herself is she believed that were the only reasons. She mentally shook her head and motioned for Jee to start. He played the first notes and she started to sing along.

Think of me

Think of me fondly

When we said goodbye

Remember me

Every so often

Promise me you'll try

On that day, that not so distant day

When you are far away and free

If you ever find a moment

Spare a thought for me

The crew listened in awe while Elyrie sang. She was a soprano and this song fitted her vocal range perfectly. Her clear voice sounded across the deck and over the water. Jee played along, mesmerized by her lovely voice. Every man on the ship was enchanted by her voice at that moment.

Every man, even the brooding one in his room.