Answer to review: this will be a ZukoxOC but not until later chapters.
Chapter 3: Mint Tea
(Amara POV)
My body was heavy. My brain was a mess. I really had a hard time recalling what occurred. I could remember running through the forest. My brother's men caught me. They dragged me back to Zhao who beat me severely. Then Tu Lan was there, telling me to not give up. Another man showed up a few hours later. He was kind and gentle. He had been concerned about me. Tu Lan and another soldier helped me towards a ship. I was taken to a room with torches. I ate something bitter. I passed out again.
Finally getting the events from yesterday back in sequence, I started to bring the rest of me back to consciousness. Every part of me felt disconnected, but after a moment I regained some movement. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw a low table across from me against the wall. There was a torch above on the wall to illuminate the room. The walls were steel, and so was the floor.
A ship... I was still on a ship... Was it the same ship? Or was I on one of my brother's ships? My heart skipped a beat at the second possibility. However, I quickly dismissed the thought. If I were on Zhao's ship, I would be in a cell. I could tell this was not the case from the nice cot beneath me, and the warm blanket over me.
Trying to pull myself together, I attempted to move to my knees on the soft cot. The movement hurt so much, but I found my strength. Once I was on my knees, and the blanket fell away, I saw my torso was completely covered by bandages. I was not wearing a shirt, but everything was covered so I was decent. The ship physician had mended every one of my wounds.
I was grateful for the assistance I had received, but I also couldn't help but be afraid. Tu Lan was not with me. I was alone in an unfamiliar place. Others in the Fire Nation knew about my existence now. I was scared they would lock me up again. Or decide to kill me.
Escape... go... I needed to go...
My breathing hitched as I tried to move to my feet. My back seared in pain as my movement aggravated some of the wounds. I couldn't let the pain stop me though.
I had to go... see if my family was alive... Zhao told me that they would not want me because I was part Fire Nation... I didn't believe him.
Grandma... Aunt Kya... I needed to find them. They wouldn't know me; But if I told them about my mom, then maybe they would accept me...
Attempting to get to my feet, I stumbled as soon as I was off the cot. However, I managed to get across the room to the steel wall to steady myself. My body felt ready to collapse at any moment, but I could not let my weakness stop me. I had to keep going.
Managing to use the wall for support, I reached the steel door and pulled the circular mechanism to undo the latch. The movement and strain on my limbs only made me burst into blinding pain. I stopped for a moment, leaning my shoulder against the wall to catch my breath. Then after the pain faded again, I grabbed the latch once more. The door opened this time, and I managed to stumble out into the narrow steel hall.
I honestly wasn't sure what I was doing. My mind was a mess. Tu Lan had brought me on this ship, and I was mended, so why did I want to escape so terribly?
I knew the answer though: as long as I was with the Fire Nation, I was still a prisoner. They would keep me only long enough to dispose of me when they no longer wanted me around.
Go... I had to go...
As I started to walk down the hall, using the wall beside me for support, a door opened a few feet away causing me to freeze in my step. A young man stepped out, his expression appearing cautious as he looked around to search for the cause of the noise I had made when I opened my door. When his eyes finally landed on me, we stared at one another for a good minute.
The young man was definitely close to my age. I had seen teenagers before, having met a few eighteen-year-old soldiers who enlisted to work for Zhao. Most of the time I felt nothing but fear towards these men because they were loyal to my brother. However, I knew the young man before me was not under Zhao's command, and this made me slightly less fearful of him.
That, and the fact that something about him made my heart warm. From the torch light, his golden eyes glowed. However, they were not dark and heartless like my brother's golden orbs. These ones were softer, and concerned. The scar around his left eye also told me that this young man had suffered in the past like me, and this small connection kept me from seeing him as a complete threat.
"You're awake..." He sounded relieved. "You need to lay back down." His voice was soft. Cautious. He knew if he spoke too loud he would scare me. He was right. He stepped away from his room and started to come towards me. "You had a fever this morning. You shouldn't move too much."
As he approached, my irrationality took over. I knew this teenager was probably not going to hurt me, but I didn't want to take any chances. He was Fire Nation... and to the Fire Nation I was not supposed to exist.
He saw me step back.
"Amara..." he spoke my name to try and keep me calm. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He had stopped approaching though. "Let me help you lay back down. Then I'll go let my Uncle know you're awake."
"I... I need to go," I whispered. "My family... I have to find them... "
He was confused. "Your family?" However, after a moment he understood. "Your water tribe family, right?" He tried to reason with me. He could see I was about to run. "We'll help you find them once I finish my mission." He stepped forward again. "You're not in a condition to leave the ship right now. And you won't get far, anyway. We're miles from shore."
Lies... he was lying... he had to be lying... I couldn't trust him. He wasn't going to help me find my Water Tribe family. I was no fool.
My heart pounded in my ears.
Escape... I had to escape...
I backed away again, my adrenaline starting to pump. The pain in my back seared, and I could feel my body shake from malnourishment and exhaustion, but I couldn't give up. I wasn't sure if they would punish me for defying them, but I had to try to escape... I did not know these men... and Tu Lan... where was Tu Lan?
The teenager caught my intention. He tried to reason with me, seeing me step back again. "Don't run... you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you."
My heart was so loud in my ears. He sounded sincere, but I didn't want to let my guard down. They would hurt me... I had to run...
I stepped back again.
He realized he couldn't reason with me. "Don't!"
I turned and started to run. My face grew hot. I didn't make it more then ten steps as my back seared. I stumbled in my run and was forced to fall towards the wall to use my hands to keep me up. As I pushed on the wall for support, a hand grabbed my arm. He had pursued me. My mind was a mess as I feared the worst. I screamed and tried to pull from the strong warm grip.
"Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!" The teenager sounded unsure of what to do.
None of this was his fault. I just couldn't calm my panic. I was in my defensive mode.
"Let go! Please!" I tried to pull from him. He held firm, probably worried I would hurt myself.
"Calm down," he said. "I can't let you run. You're injured."
I shook my head drastically. "Please! Just let me go!"
"Amara!"
Footsteps raced down the hall. Tu Lan's familiar voice snapped me out of my disarray just enough. I whimpered and let myself fall on my knees. My body shook. The teenager released me, seeing that I was no longer going to run.
Tu Lan came beside me. "What are you doing? You need to be laying down."
The teenager explained, although he sounded at a loss. "I heard her leave the room. She keeps talking about finding her family. She was about to run. I didn't know how to calm her."
Tu Lan let out a heavy breath. "I'm sorry, Prince Zuko. I went to go grab something from my room. I didn't realize she was going to wake in that time."
"I'll go find my uncle. Get her back in the room," Prince Zuko said. As the teenager rushed off, his name lingered in my mind and horrified me.
Prince...
Prince Zuko? Prince! The Fire Lord's son?!
No! The panic returned. They were going to kill me! How could Tu Lan do this to me?!
I screamed again. I tried to pull from Tu Lan.
"Stop," he spoke. "You're going to hurt yourself and get sick."
He did not calm me. I was still in a panic. "The Fire Lord's son! You brought me to the Fire Lord's family?! Why?! They'll kill me!" I sobbed and struggled as Tu Lan restrained my arms. "I'm going to die!"
"Amara... calm down. You're safe. You're just in a panic right now. I need you to calm down," Tu Lan begged. "You're feverish. You're making things worse. Please calm down. You are safe... I promise."
He managed to get me to stop my struggles, restraining my wrists tight like he had done in the past. This wasn't the first time I had lost my senses to panic. As his familiar grip held to my wrists, I let my pounding heart calm.
Safe... I looked over at him, breathing heavily from my anxiety. Finally, I started to feel the adrenaline leave and my panic simmer. My voice was barely audible. "Safe?"
He nodded and gave a small smile to reassure me. "I told you that I would get you help... your brother is gone and you are being protected. You don't need to be afraid. General Iroh and Prince Zuko are good people. They've heard what your father's family has done to you and they want to help."
His reassurance calmed me more.
He noticed my panic was finally gone. "Come on. Let's get you back in bed before your fever gets worse."
Tu Lan managed to get me back to my feet. The pain rushed through me again, but I kept my sounds of discomfort to myself. He managed to get me back to the door which I had left open upon my escape. As he supported me back into the room, I whispered softly, "I'm sorry... I... I just panicked."
He kept me moving towards my cot, but spoke with reassurance. "I know... that's to be expected. But after everything you've been through, you have nothing to be sorry for. I was supposed to be here when you woke up to keep you calm. That was my fault."
He got me back to the cot, and he helped me sit back down on it. He pressed his hand to my forehead and frowned deeply.
"Your fever's high again. You've put too much stress on your body. Lay back down."
I shook my head. "I... I want to sit up." I stared at the tapestry with the Fire Nation emblem that hung on the wall to the right of me. Then I met my friend's gaze again. "They... they really won't hurt me?"
He looked at me with reassurance as he knelt in front of me. "No, Amara. General Iroh was furious with Zhao when he learned about everything that had been done to you and your mother. He's a good man. He's going to take care of you. We can trust him and Prince Zuko. If they wanted you dead they wouldn't have had their ship physician tend to you so thoroughly yesterday. You're in good hands here. I promise."
I breathed in again, trying to calm some more. Tu Lan stepped across the room over to the wooden table and picked up a flask. He walked back over and undid the cap. "Drink... You're dehydrated." I shakily took the flask and sipped the fresh water greedily. My throat was definitely parched, and the liquid helped cool my temperature slightly. When I was done, I handed it back.
"Are... we really out of the harbor? He's not here?"
He nodded. "Yes. We're miles from that place now. You are no longer under your Uncle or Zhao's control... You're finally safe." His eyes watered as he spoke this. "I'm sorry I didn't help you escape those monsters sooner. I was such a coward. I didn't want to betray your father or anger your brother. I failed you and your mother."
I was silent for a moment as I took in his words. Then I said softly, "You protected us the best you could... I wouldn't have survived all those years after mom's death if you weren't there. Nothing is your fault." I cringed as a sharp pain shot through my back again. "I'm the one who tried to run yesterday morning."
He gave a small smile. "Well, you don't have to do that anymore. You don't have to escape. The danger is finally over. Everyone who I've spoken to on this ship is concerned about you and wants to help you heal. You're being watched out for by so many now."
His words surprised me. They were concerned about me? My mind briefly recalled the moment I was brought to the ship physician the night before... he had been horrified by the sight of my scars and fresh wounds...
I had never had so many people care about me before...
The door was still open, so only the sound of footsteps indicated to me that someone else had arrived. I looked up to see the man from last night. He wore a fine Fire Nation robe, and his gray hair was up in a topknot. He had a gray beard as well. His gold eyes showed concern as he stepped inside the room. Another man followed behind him, this one a little younger and thinner. He carried a tray with some porcelain cups and a teapot.
The man, who I assumed was the ship's cook, placed the tray down on the floor in front of me. He turned to his leader. "I will go heat up the stew, sir. I will be back soon."
The man I recalled was named Iroh, nodded with gratitude, "Thank you, Jing. See if you can find Ju and get some herbs from him for her fever as well."
The man bowed and left. Once he was gone, Iroh shut the door behind him and stepped over to me. Tu Lan moved away from me to back against the wall, but stayed in my view to keep me calm. I shrunk a bit as the man I did not know came closer. He gave me a kind smile to try and keep me calm. Without saying anything, he sat cross-legged beside the tray to become eye-level with me. He was trying not to intimidate me.
"Hello, Amara," he finally spoke. "I don't know what you remember from yesterday. You had a terrible fever through the night from the trauma your body endured. My name is Iroh. I am Fire Lord Ozai's brother. Tu Lan sought me out yesterday to help you. I know you are scared, but you do not need to be. From this day forward, I will do everything in my power to protect you from your father's family and make sure no one harms you again."
I could hear the sincerity in his tone. I didn't understand why he cared about me though.
"Why?" My voice was soft. "Why do you want to protect me? Zhao told me that if I was discovered I would be killed... He said I'm not supposed to exist."
Iroh's gaze turned sympathetic. "If you were discovered by someone else this may have been the case. However, thankfully you are under my care and I believe you should exist. Just because you are of the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation does not mean you should be destroyed. I do not understand why things happen, but I believe your birth was not an accident. The fact you survived for sixteen years under the brutal hands of your family tells me that you clearly have a purpose to this world. Don't believe for a second that you are a mistake. You are just special, Amara."
His words surprised me. Special? My mom had told me I was special when she was alive... Hearing it from a man I had only just met was reassuring in a way.
I let out a heavy breath. I gave a nod though to let him know I understood.
"I did hear about your attempt to leave a few moments ago. I do ask that you don't wander the ship without an escort. There are many halls and rooms, so we don't want you getting lost."
I felt my breathing hitch. He was angry at me for trying to leave... Would he punish me?
Tears fell down my cheeks and I dropped my head. "I... I'm sorry. I won't do it again." My voice shook. I shut my eyes. I suddenly feared he would hurt me for trying to escape.
He sighed. "Amara... Look at me." I opened my eyes and raised my head slowly to do as he said. I didn't want to upset him. He gazed at me with sadness. "Don't be afraid. I'm not mad at you. I just don't want you to get hurt. And even if I was scolding you, I would never physically hurt you myself. If anyone raises a hand against you and I find out, then they will be the ones to be punished. You're not a prisoner anymore. From this day forward you will be treated as my daughter. Your old life is over... I am going to do all I can to help you heal both physically and mentally." He turned and poured some tea into one of the cups. "And to start my task, I'm going to teach you the joy of tea."
I was silent as his words replayed in my head. Everything felt too good to be true. Iroh was being so nice to me. He sounded so sincere. While part of me wanted to believe his words and trust him, another part of me was hesitant to believe this was all real. I had suffered for sixteen years, being told daily that I was worthless and should be killed. I was beaten severely my whole life. Was all of that really going to change in one night?
Iroh noticed my body was trembling. He could sense my uncertainty. He tried to reassure me again. "I promise you are safe here," he spoke sincerely. "Drink this. It will calm you and help with your fever." He extended the cup towards me. I recoiled away. Tu Lan sighed from where he stood by the door, having probably feared I would be hesitant to trust the man. Iroh looked over to give him an encouraging smile, and then spoke to me again. "It isn't poisoned, dear. It's just mint tea." He pulled the cup back to him and took a sip to prove it to me. He then poured another cup and tried to extend it to me again. I stared at it for a moment, still uncertain. Then finally, I took it slowly with caution.
With shaky hands, I brought the cup to my chapped lips and sipped the warm liquid. The tea was definitely a good flavor and did calm me. My heart, which had still been a little too fast, finally returned to a normal beat. My heavy breathing evened out, and the shaking of my body stilled. I had never had such delicious tea before. If I was served tea in the past, usually it was leftovers and cold. This tea was warm and comforting. The feeling it brought me was something I had only experienced when my mom was alive: happiness.
Who knew a cup of tea could make me feel happy for a small moment?
Tears filled my eyes again, but this time they were from my relief. As the flavor of mint lingered on my tongue, and the warm liquid flowed through me, I felt peace.
Iroh smiled, knowing that my watering eyes were not from pain. He poured more tea into my empty cup, saying softly, "They say tea has a healing touch... it can mend the most broken spirit."
As I sipped more tea, Tu Lan spoke again. "I'm going to return to my duties, sir. I can see she is in good hands. Call for me if you need me." I looked over at him with uncertainty. He gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm not going far. I want you to eat and get some rest. Okay?"
I gave a small nod. "Okay... I will..."
He was satisfied to hear. He left the room then, shutting the door behind. Iroh and I were left alone. Once he was gone, Iroh spoke again to converse. "Tu Lan seems to care a lot about you."
I sipped my tea again. Pulling away, I stared at the steaming liquid. "He's been a friend to me," I whispered. "Ever since I can remember... he's never hurt me like the others."
"He told me he cared for you and your mother greatly." Iroh sipped his tea in thought. When he lowered his cup, he spoke again. "I do have some questions for you, Amara. I just want to confirm some things I discussed with Tu Lan. If you are not comfortable answering, just let me know. Is it alright if I ask?"
I met his gaze and gave a small nod.
He started. "Your mother's name was Kala, correct?"
I gave a soft yes.
"And she was a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe?"
I nodded.
"My nephew told me you were trying to leave earlier to find your family. Did your mother mention to you who they are?"
I answered. "I... I only know my aunt's name: Kya... she never said my grandma or grandpa's names."
Iroh pondered this. "I see. I will send a letter to one of my connections and see if I can find information about your mother's family." He continued. "Your mother... She was killed by your uncle and Zhao, correct?"
His question made my breathing hitch. Her scream echoed in my mind.
"It's okay... I'll move on to the next question," Iroh had sensed that the subject was too much for me. "After your mother died, they kept you locked in the attic?"
I calmed my racing heart. I nodded again.
"Your brother and Uncle... they never did anything inappropriate to you, did they?"
I knew what he was asking. "No... They just beat me..."
He sighed. He was relieved to know that I had not suffered like my mother. "My physician Ju informed me you have burn scars on your back. Did Zhao give you those?"
I nodded. "It was two years ago... He had been away on his ship for a few weeks in the Earth Kingdom. The day he got back he had a fight with my uncle about something. He was angry and came to see me to blow off some steam." I shivered. "He had never burned me before, but that day he really wanted to hurt me..." I broke off as the memory returned.
I stumbled back as Zhao stomped towards me. Tu Lan was away visiting his father, so my usual protector was not there to try and intervene. Zhao grabbed my arm and jerked me forward. "Always causing trouble! I'll show you how to behave!"
I didn't know what he was talking about. I had been silent and obedient for weeks. I had rarely seen my Uncle in the time Zhao had been gone. I had a feeling the fight had nothing to do with me, but Zhao just wanted someone to blame.
"Let go!" I begged. "I didn't do anything!"
He slapped me hard and I fell as my senses blurred for a moment. As I was on my side, I felt Zhao kick me in the stomach. I gasped as pain shot through me. "Such a nuisance! If you weren't my sister I would kill you here and now!"
I coughed as I tried to find my breath. Then I cried out, "Do it! Just kill me! Please!"
He growled. "Why? Not having fun dear sister?!"
He went to grab me again. Fire ignited inside me. As he reached to grab me, I turned my body quickly and kicked him hard in the leg. He gasped as I managed to knock his balance. He stumbled and tried to catch himself. As he was momentarily distracted, I got to my feet and staggered backwards. My ankle was chained, so I couldn't run. But I knew I could at least fight. Part of me considered firebending, but Tu Lan had begged me never to do that in front of my brother. I had promised him I would not, and I didn't want to break my promise.
"How dare you attack me!" He rushed towards me. I dodged at the last minute and Zhao ran into one of the low horizontal beams of the roof. He cursed from the collision and stumbled back. I was amazed when I saw blood trickle out of his nose.
I knew then I was definitely in trouble.
My Uncle suddenly staggered through the open door. He was late fifties, although he looked ten years older than that. His gray hair was tied up, and his wrinkled frame looked ashy like always. "What is going on up here?!"
Zhao wiped beneath his nose where the blood streamed. "Uncle! Grab her and hold her steady! This little freak just attacked me and she will pay!"
My heart pounded heavily. My Uncle came forward to seize me. I tried to dodge his hands, but at that point Zhao had recovered and grabbed me from behind. As his arms wrapped around me, he restrained my wrists with his hands. "Grab the cuffs!"
My uncle rushed out of the attic room. I screamed and struggled against him. My uncle was back a moment later, a bit out of breath, but holding the iron cuffs in hand. Zhao moved me over to the same beam he had run into, and forced my hands to go on both sides of the wood. Uncle cuffed my hands so that I was locked to the low beam. I screamed and struggled harder as my brother still held my arms. Once I was secure though, Zhao released me.
"You brat! I'll teach you to fight me! Leave us, Uncle!"
My uncle sneered. "And miss the fun. I think I'll stay and watch."
I gasped and struggled harder to break from the beam. I couldn't though. Zhao came beside me and hissed in my ear, "I was just going to hit you some. But then you had to be brave and attack me... I'm so disappointed in you, Amara."
I sobbed and struggled. I tried to slide my hands out of the cuffs as the beam held me steady.
"You've never gotten to witness my firebending, have you? This is exciting. My sister finally gets to see her brother's true power."
I shut my eyes and gasped. I had never been burned before except from hot food. In my fourteen years of life, I didn't know what it felt like to have fire scorch my skin. I knew I was about to find out.
Zhao's steps sounded behind me. I cried out in fear. I begged him not to and apologized, although I knew it would do no good. My uncle and Zhao enjoyed hurting me.
I heard Zhao breathe in behind me. Then a bright light shot through the room and an indescribable pain erupted from my back. I screamed, but the sharp burning pain never stopped.
The teacup fell from my hands. The porcelain shattered and the remaining liquid spilled between Iroh and I. My whole body shook.
"Amara... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. Please calm down. No more questions. I promise," a voice spoke. It took me a moment to realize it was Iroh's. As I came back to present, I realized that I was shaking and crying. His grasp took one of my trembling hands to try and calm me.
I felt my breathing come back. The memory faded completely. I was back in the room on the ship. Safe... Zhao was not nearby... I was safe...
As I told myself this, my gaze shot down to the broken teacup. My eyes widened. I jerked from his hand and reached for it. "I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean to..."
He grabbed my hand again to stop me. "No, dear. Don't. You'll hurt yourself. It was my fault. I upset you with my last question. We're done with that... no more questions for now. Calm down."
I felt my shaking body calm. He released my hand and then carefully grabbed the pieces of the cup. He put them on the tray. As he did, a knock sounded on the door. Iroh sighed and stood. He stepped over to the door and opened it. The chef was there with a tray of food, and beside him was the teenager from before... Prince Zuko...
"Thank you, Jing. I'll take it from here. If you want to grab the tea tray in return that would be helpful." The man nodded and handed the tray to Iroh. Then he stepped inside and grabbed the tray with the teapot, broken tea cup, and iroh's empty cup. As he headed out of the room, he said to Iroh, "Ju put some herbs in the stew. It should help with the fever and relax her some more." He left then.
Iroh handed the tray to Zuko once Jing was gone. "Do me a favor and see if you can get her to eat. I'm going to go check on something briefly."
Zuko looked like he wanted to protest, but Iroh was already leaving the room and shutting the door behind. Zuko let out a heavy breath, and then looked over at me. He seemed uncertain if he should approach. Finally, he slowly came over. I stiffened, but I did not slide away. He placed the tray on the floor and sat on his knees. He grabbed the bowl of stew and moved it towards me.
"Here... eat. You'll feel better," he spoke. His eyes avoided my gaze.
With slight hesitation, I reached for the bowl. Taking it, I felt my fingers brush against his for a moment. For some reason, my heart fluttered again. I finally took the bowl from him and rested it in my lap. The fluttering calmed.
I did not eat the stew right away. Instead, I whispered, "I'm sorry... for earlier... I was a bit irrational."
Zuko was silent after my apology. I looked up to see his reaction, and noticed he was surprised. He found his voice. "You don't need to apologize. You woke up in a new place. I'm certain it was just a shock to you."
I nodded. I lowered my gaze again. After a small pause, I asked softly, "You're... Prince Zuko? The Fire Lord's son?"
He answered. "Yes." He paused for a moment, but then he spoke again. "But you don't have to be afraid of me, Amara. That soldier Tu Lan told me you were scared I would kill you, but I'm never going to hurt you. My uncle and I are not like Zhao. I... I want to help you."
His reassurance did calm me. I spoke softly, meeting his sincere golden gaze again, "You... said you were on a mission... A mission to do what?"
He was startled by my question. He answered though. "I was sent on a quest by my father to capture the Avatar. We found him hiding at the South Pole, and I almost had him in my custody. He escaped on his flying sky-bison though and we are currently pursuing him. He damaged my ship quite a bit, which is how we ended up at your brother's harbor. We are trying to catch back to his trail."
His answer was confusing. He spoke about something I did not understand. "The Avatar? What's that?"
Zuko was bewildered by my question. "You haven't heard of the Avatar?"
I flinched, and quickly felt embarrassed. "I... haven't heard of a lot of things, honestly. Most of what I know I learned from my mom and Tu Lan."
"Oh... I guess that would make sense..." He sounded sad to hear about my isolated life. He answered my question though. "The Avatar is a spiritual being that has the ability to bend all four elements. He is powerful and if he manages to master the elements he will be strong enough to defeat the Fire Nation. My father sent me to find and capture him before this can happen."
His explanation amazed me. Someone who could bend all four elements? That was possible?
I had to ask... Maybe I wasn't a freak after all. "Can others bend more than one element?"
His brows furrowed. My question had confused him. He shook his head. "No... Only the Avatar."
I frowned. So I really was the only one...
"Why do you ask?"
I flinched. I knew I couldn't tell him I was a water and firebender. If bending two elements was not normal, then that news alone could get me in trouble.
"No reason," I finally answered.
I turned my attention to the stew then and started to eat it. The food was like nothing I had tasted before. Before I knew it, I consumed the whole bowl. It had been my first meal in over a day. When I was done, I was slightly embarrassed to appear so hungry in front of the Fire Nation prince. I met his gaze, worried I had repulsed him. However, I saw he was relieved I had ate the meal.
"Your fever looks like it's gone down," he said. He took the empty bowl from me. "How are you feeling?"
For some reason, my heart did its weird flutter again. "I'm better... my back just hurts."
He put the bowl down. "The medicine in your food should help with that hopefully. I think Ju's going to come later this evening to check your stitches and redo your bandages, so hopefully he'll bring something else to help with the pain too." He still kept his gaze from me. "If you're feeling better tomorrow you can come up on deck. Some fresh air will help you feel better too. We need to get you some new clothes when we stop at port in a few days, but until then I have some old shirts you can wear. They'll be big on you, but they'll keep you warm while you're outside."
I was surprised by his words. "New clothes?"
He nodded. "I think my uncle wants to spoil you." He met my gaze again and smiled. "He's already talking about redoing this room to make it more 'feminine,' whatever that means. So if you can think of anything you want, I'm sure he'll get it for you. I'm not sure how long it will take to capture the Avatar, so we want you to be comfortable until then."
Zuko's reveal finally made me believe what I had been hesitant to: I was truly safe here.
My days of abuse and torture were behind me. I was no longer under the control of my Uncle or Zhao. Instead, I was taken in by a kind old man who wanted to help me escape from the monsters of my past. And his nephew wanted to help me as well. While I still had a lot to learn about my new life, I understood that I did not need to be afraid of Zuko or Iroh.
Just like Tu Lan, I had two new protectors.
For the first time in sixteen years, I was free from my Fire Nation family.
Safe... I was safe at last...