Author's Note: Well, here goes another new story. Like almost all my other stories, it focuses on an OC, this one is called Taisan. According to an online source, it means (or can mean, with Asian names it is often the case that there is difference in meaning as different characters can be used to form the same name, this also happens in ATLA btw.) "Leader, Visionary or powerful", which I found somewhat fitting for the character. He'll be introduced in the first chapter more, so I won't lose too many words about him here, although take note that not all that people are saying is necessarily the truth. I hope you enjoy this story. We begin as Zuko returns to the Fire Nation.
Caldera, 100 AC
Zuko was sitting in the Royal Gardens feeding the turtle-ducks absentmindedly and with a worried expression on his face. Earlier, he had been presented to the public, alongside Azula, and the crowd had cheered. One could argue, he was welcomed back warmly. But something still bugged him.
He had not seen his father, not at all, not spoken to him, not even received a message, of what content whatsoever. Concerning their last meeting, he wasn't so sure that his father would share the crowd's feelings about him.
His sister had, as odd as it seemed, stopped by and seemed to actually care about his mood, but couldn't do anything about the situation, and such, soon left him to his sulking. Now, a worried-looking, elderly servant hesitantly walked up to him, "Your Highness, Prince Zuko, you've been sitting here all the time since you returned. Do you, by any chance, need something? Or is there something else this one could do to lift your spirits?", he seemed genuinely caring.
Zuko didn't look at him, but focused on the pond, "No, I'm just waiting for an audience with my father."
The servant's eyebrows raised for a moment, before he caught himself, "Well, there has been another audience scheduled before yours. I believe, I heard that the gentleman was late, and so, everything is delayed."
"But why then would my audience not be held before, and the other be moved to a later time?", the young prince asked angrily.
The servant seemed imbued with an unearthly patience, "The gentleman in question is coming a long way to the capital, and we cannot say what delayed his appearance, or how long it would take, but he is too important to be kept waiting."
"Which province noble could be more important to the Fire Lord than his own son?", Zuko mumbled, when suddenly his attention shifted to a group of men walking past the gardens towards the throne room. They were all clad like noblemen, though rather from some province than from the capital itself, which was strengthened by some still wearing hats and cloaks from the travel. They all seemed very serious and Zuko wondered what they were about.
He could immediately say who led them. The man walked a step or two in front of the others and was clad in the finest silk amongst them. The red of his wide sleeves was adorned with stitched motives, subtle, yet glistening in the sunlight from time to time, and the black, sleeveless outer robe, simple, but clearly made of fine material, seemed to only enhance his tall figure. His skin was pale, even paler than his sister's, his eyes amber and his hair black. It was held in a topknot and would probably reach a little past his neck if open.
An eerily amused smile played around his lips and he never, not even once turned his head to one of his companions, which made Zuko wonder. But then he outright stared at the man when he noticed something odd, the cane. The man seemed young, he would be surprised if the noble was in his mid-twenties, yet he seemed to need a cane to walk. Maybe he was injured in the war, and this is why the servants don't want to offend him, he thought.
As the group had left his eyesight, he turned to the servant, "The leader of this group, who is he?"
The servant seemed surprised by the questions, then he bowed slightly, "Ah, you don't know. Of course, I'm sorry I assumed you would."
Zuko grew annoyed, "What do you mean? Who is he?"
"The man you just saw is Prince Taisan.", Zuko stared at the servant. This had to be a joke. A prince he didn't know of?
"What do you mean? How can there be a prince I don't know of?", he asked angrily.
The servant hastily bowed again, he sounded apologetic, "Prince Taisan is not much spoken about as he was excluded from the royal family and the line of succession because of his… condition, and thus was sent off to live in reclusion."
Zuko felt like he just collided with a freaking sky bison. He shook his head, "I don't know about any of this. Tell me everything, from the beginning."
The elderly man nodded and Zuko was almost afraid he'd bow again, but this time he didn't. Then he began to tell, "In his youth, the Fire Lord was married to a young noble woman from one of the seven ancient clans. It is said that he loved her very much, but tragedy struck only about a year after the wedding when she died in childbirth. The Fire Lord, by then still a prince, named the child Taisan and Fire Lord Azulon and Queen Ilah took care of the boy. Especially the Queen favored him. Even as a child he showed the signs of a great firebender in the making, and his cheerful attitude made everyone love and adore him.
When Taisan was four, his father remarried, and the following year, you were born. He and your cousin Lu Ten were overjoyed, and everything seemed about right, but then tragedy struck again. It was on your first birthday that Taisan suddenly collapsed. No physician could find out what was happening to him, and we were all panicking, since his health seemed rapidly declining. Soon he couldn't leave his bed anymore. Only when the child laid on its deathbed did one of the physicians find that he was being poisoned the whole time, slowly and steadily.
The culprit was never caught and different rumors spread through the palace over the next years. Some said he was poisoned by accident, because who could really do this? Some said it was a failed coup and the poison was meant for your grandfather, some even implicated your mother, because once he fell ill, she would not leave his side.
Anyway, the young prince recuperated somewhat afterwards, but the poison did some damage to his body that was irreparable. His eyesight was gone, and such, he was excluded from the line of succession and sent away to live his life in peace and quiet somewhere in the province. And of course, any contact was strongly limited. Back then, Prince Lu Ten was heartbroken."
Zuko stayed silent as the servant excused himself and returned to the hallways of the palace. He still had to wait a while, but now he had a lot to think about. Looking over the garden pond, he wondered why he and Azula were never introduced to Taisan, even if the contact had been limited by his grandfather, shouldn't he have returned as his father took power? Even if he was no longer deemed worthy of being Fire Lord one day, he was still part of the family. Didn't his father miss his firstborn son, especially since the servant had told him that Ozai had loved his first wife a lot? One question especially rang through his head as another servant appeared behind a column and motioned for him to follow: Would his brother hate him? But he shook his head and tried to focus on the meeting with his father that was about to happen.
A while later, he was on the way back to his quarters, deep in thought. The meeting had gone surprisingly well. His father deemed him a hero. He had said, he was impressed by him. The words still echoed in his head.
However, there was something that bugged him. His father hadn't mentioned Taisan at all, even though, they had spoken just before. It made Zuko wonder. He himself had not dared to ask. His way led him by the garden and the pond where he had sat earlier. The teenager halted all of sudden as he got aware of a single figure standing by the pond in the last light of the day.
If he hadn't been told that Taisan was blind, he had deemed that the young man was looking over the pond as he stood in front of it, both hands on his cane, totally silent and unmoving. Unsure of what to do, Zuko stepped onto the grass.
An hour or so earlier
A young man in a black robe knelt in the throne room that was only dimly lit by the fire in front of Ozai's throne. A cane laid at his side as his hands and head touched the ground.
"I see, you have really become a man of the province, Taisan. For fifteen years, I have not heard anything from you, but now you come to visit. How old are you now, boy?", Ozai's voice filled the room.
With a calm voice that was only a little lighter in tone, the young man answered, "I'm twenty-one now, father. Since you never asked of my fate after I left the capital all those years ago, grandfather and I took that as a wish to not be bothered by me, to which we complied. Were we mistaken?"
Ozai chuckled, "The old man did never have a favorable opinion of me, has he? For what purpose has he sent you here now?"
The corners of Taisan's mouth twitched into a frown for a millisecond before returning to his neutral expression. With a voice as calm and gentle as before he answered, "He hasn't sent me. Grandfather died three years ago. Were you not informed about it?", before Ozai could say anything he continued, "Today I came here because my fellow brethren have asked me to speak for them on an issue we all experienced lately."
The Fire Lord raised an eyebrow skeptically, "So, you're here on behalf of the other province nobles? The ancient clans have long lost their power, I will not have them make demands."
Quickly, Taisan returned to his bowing position, "Honored father, we did not come to make demands of any kind. We're here because of our people and their suffering, and nothing more.", he said hastily. "The last weeks have brought nothing but rain to large parts of the islands and it has caused great damage. Floods have destroyed many homes and roads, landslides have caused even greater demise. Not to speak of the loss on the harvest."
"So, you want the crown to pay for bad weather?", a slight tinge of anger colored Ozai's voice.
"No, father. We're aware that it is our responsibility. Nevertheless, if you could grant us a small tax relief, just for this year, so we can tackle these things more easily, we would be f…", he was cut off by his father suddenly standing up.
Enraged, Ozai towered above his eldest son, "A tax relief? Are you aware that we're fighting a war? A tax relief for the heartlands in this year of all is unacceptable!"
Taisan flinched, almost whispering he added, "But father, the prosperity of the islands…", only to be cut off again.
"I won't tolerate any disobedience! The crown will not pay for your petty villages. You will go back to your estates, take your so-called brethren with you and keep quiet. If any of you act out, I would find myself forced to ensure your obedience. Understood?", Ozai's anger had turned to a dangerously calm threat.
Taisan blinked twice, his face otherwise not moving, neither at the outburst, nor at the threat, "Yes, father. I understand. I will then take my leave and return to the others."
Ozai's lips turned into a smirk, "Tell them to send me more soldiers for the war. And if they have another issue, they shall come here themselves and not hide behind you. You should know that I'm not more inclined to approve anything, just because my son is the one asking."
Taisan stood up and took a few steps towards the door, before he reached it, he stopped, "I will tell them what you said, but they did not ask me to speak for them because I am your son. I am not mistaken about our relationship, and neither are they. I came as the current head of the Xuan Clan, nothing else. If you'd allow me to give you a piece of advice, you shouldn't make a mockery of us. You're underestimating the ancient clans, this could prove foolish."
"Yes, of course. As for you, don't forget where you're coming from.", Taisan nodded, now really taking his leave.
"As if I could…", he mumbled under his breath as he stepped onto the grass of the Royal Gardens.
A little while later he heard careful steps approaching, someone spoke to him, from his voice, a young man, maybe a teenager. "You are Taisan, aren't you?", it sounded unsure, like the speaker didn't know how to start the conversation, but also didn't want to leave him alone.
"Yes, I am Prince Taisan. And who are you? I can't seem to remember your voice.", Zuko didn't see the figure moving, as Taisan stood with his back to him.
"I-I am Prince Zuko. I don't know if…", the younger prince started, but then trailed off.
Taisan's amber irises widened for a moment, "Ah, Zuko, yes, I remember. Why don't you come up here, brother?", he gestured to his side for Zuko to step up, which the younger prince quickly followed.
For a moment they stood next to each other in silence that was somehow between awkward and comfortable. Then Taisan's head turned slightly in Zuko's direction, and he smiled at him. His voice was gentle and warm, "I heard about your… accomplishment. I guess, congratulations are in order. Even more so considering the hardships you faced at such a young age."
"Uh, thank you.", Zuko wasn't sure how to respond. Part of him still wanted to scream it wasn't me! It wasn't me! , but he continued instead, "What are you doing here today?"
"Do you mean what brought me to the capital, or rather what am I doing in this moment?", the older prince asked curiously.
"Actually both.", Zuko admitted truthfully, making the other one chuckle.
Taisan raised a hand to his chin, "I came on behalf of the clans. The heavy rainfalls of the last weeks have done great damage to our provinces, so I asked for help. But I was denied, so I have to return empty-handed. Right now, well, I thought I could make a short stop on my way out. Who knows when I'm going to have the chance to visit the Royal Gardens again.", he shrugged his shoulders.
"You seemed deep in thought…", Zuko started.
"Well, I was remembering something. One of my last memories before… I had to leave this place. It was a warm summer day, a few days away from your first birthday. Mother was feeling unwell, so Lu Ten and I took you with us. We were trying to teach you walking, with, uhm, mixed results."
"Mixed results?", Zuko raised an eyebrow.
Taisan chuckled again, "We thought we were successful, but just as grandfather came to join us you went back to crawling again, no matter our efforts."
"Oh, I… I'm sorry, I guess.", the younger prince stammered.
The blind man turned around to face him, smiling genuinely at his brother, "No matter, Zuko. Infants are generally forgiven for whatever they do. Besides, it was only the cause of great amusement, so don't be hard on yourself.", an awkward silence erupted between them, until Taisan continued, "It must be awkward for you to talk to a brother you know so little of, and I should be on my way. So, if you want to escape the tight air of the capital for once, you'll always be welcome at my estate in Nakuyo. It is actually not that far, maybe a few hours on boat. Until then, take care.", he ended by reaching out and squeezing Zuko's shoulder lightly, before he turned and left. Darkness had crept into the Royal Gardens by now and seemed to swallow the blind prince after just a few steps.
For a long moment, Zuko stood there and blinked. He had somehow earned himself an invitation to Nakuyo. The island had been a subject only briefly mentioned in his education. A middle to large sized island not too far from the capital. The largest of the seven provinces of the heartlands of the Fire Nation. Its capital was such also the home of the most powerful of the seven ancient clans that had ruled the Nation before there was a Fire Lord, and Zih-Jing had been the first capital. He wondered if the estate Taisan mentioned was actually the old palace.
Later that night, Zuko felt restless, took his cloak and walked up to the prison tower. He had planned to visit his uncle. Although he wasn't sure what for, if for advice or to just ask why the man he had always trusted had betrayed him, he couldn't say.
Just as he entered the prison complex, a guard saw him and called out, "Hey you! Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Zuko stood there, his hood still over his head, like a deer-antilope caught in a sudden light. He didn't know what to do or say, when suddenly a voice came from behind the guard, "Forgive him, Mr. Qin. My brother's here to pick me up, so I get back to the city safely. I should've told you before."
Stunned, Zuko watched as a tall figure emerged behind the guard, who hastily turned around and bowed, "Of course, I-I'm sorry if I was rude, Prince Taisan."
Taisan smiled at the man, "No matter. We'll leave you to your duties now, Mr. Qin."
Casually, the young man walked down the stairs and straight towards Zuko, his cane never leaving his side. Smiling, he laid an arm around Zuko's shoulders and began to lead him away and back towards the city.
A million questions popped up in the younger prince's mind, without thinking too much about it, he just blurted one out as soon as they were out of earshot from any possible guards, "How did you know it was me?"
A chuckle came from the black-clothed man at his side, "These days I tend to remember people by their voices, yet my brother is the first I remember for a distinct kind of silence. When the guard noticed someone standing there, I just knew it had to be you. Who else would come at this hour?"
"So, you gambled.", Zuko assumed.
"A little, but not too much.", Taisan answered with a small, approving nod.
For a little while it was silent, before Zuko asked, "And what did you do at the Prison Tower?"
"It would be unbelievable if I said I got lost because I'm blind, wouldn't it? Well, my grandfather taught me that it is important to pay a dragon its due respect.", unbeknownst to Taisan, Zuko rolled his eyes. Great, another relative with a liking of metaphors and proverbs. He said nothing though, and so, after a short break, the older prince chuckled and continued, "Also, I haven't met uncle since Lu Ten's funeral, so I was eager to speak with him. And for a third reason, I know how much he likes tea, so I brought a little collection, so his stay in the tower is a bit more tolerable."
"Don't you think it will offend father if he learns of this?", Zuko asked, his voice telling Taisan that the younger prince still feared their father.
"I don't think he'll find it interesting. He's not that interested in me at all, so why should I care about what he thinks. Maybe that's a province thing, at least some in Caldera will say that. There's a proverb at home: the sky is high, the sea is wide, and the Fire Lord is far, far away.", he shrugged his shoulders.
Zuko couldn't help but admire this casual defiance his brother showed as if it were nothing. They continued their way in silence, and Zuko kept wondering, that in this moment with the cold night air on his face and his brother's arm around his shoulders, it felt more welcoming, more like family, than the whole ordeal since he had returned.
The pair came to a sudden halt when Zuko wanted to return to the palace, but Taisan wanted to go in another direction, "What are you doing? The palace is this way.", Zuko asked, assuming that as a prince, Taisan would stay at the palace.
The older prince shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I'm not staying there. I and my brethren are staying at an inn not far from here. At this hour, they're probably already waiting for me.", and awkward silence ensued, but was quickly interrupted, "Do you want to join us? All the other clan heads are there. I can introduce you to them."
"I, uhh…", Zuko stammered.
Suddenly, Taisan pulled him along, away from the palace, "Great, come on! Say, have you had dinner already? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Surprisingly safely, Taisan led him through the streets of Caldera before stopping in front of a decent looking, three or four floors high building at the very edge of the palace district. Light could be seen through the windows and noise could be heard. It seemed a lively place. A sign above the door read, "The Seven Heavens".
"Are you sure, we've come to the right place?", Zuko whispered, leaning over to his brother.
"We're at the "Seven Heavens", aren't we? I thought, I remembered the way. And it does sound like it.", Taisan replied, a little bit unsure.
"Ah, yes, then we're right.", Zuko felt suddenly extremely self-conscious. Being introduced to somewhat important strangers was nothing he had included in his plans for this evening. But before he could turn away, Taisan had grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
The bar they entered was bustling with all kinds of people, seemingly in different states of intoxication, and even a few courtesans could be spotted. His brother's grip on his hand didn't loosen a bit, so he couldn't get a clear view of anyone as the older prince pulled him along quickly towards the counter. There he stopped for a quick moment, greeting the girl behind the counter, who was seemingly glad to see him, before he headed towards a pair of stairs in the back. Zuko almost struggled to keep up the pace, and so, his face met his brother's back unexpectedly when Taisan stopped all of sudden.
"Hailancha, good to see you.", he turned to Zuko for a moment, "Zuko, this is my right hand man, Hailancha. I trust him with everything."
"My lord,", the black clothed servant bowed, "the others are waiting for you. Some are getting impatient."
Casually, Taisan got out of his coat, folded it and handed it to the servant, "Then we should join them right away. Could you arrange for another seat for my brother?"
Hailancha looked up briefly, something flickered in his brown eyes, maybe contempt as he looked at the younger prince, "Of course.", wordlessly he took Zuko's cloak as well before he disappeared into a small floor to their left.
Taisan had again turned to him, smiling, "I know, he seems rough on the edges, but trust me, he's going to warm up."
Zuko had his doubts but didn't say anything. He jumped as the servant reappeared carrying not only a cushion for him to sit on, but also a small table, not caring to look at them. The teenager followed Taisan and the servant through a hallway that led to a large, elaborate door. The servant entered without knocking and the door closed again behind him.
Smiling reassuringly, Taisan turned to his brother, "Don't worry about anything that happens in there. You are my guest. No one is going to challenge you to an Agni Kai for anything you say. Though, maybe if you start attacking people they will punch back. Come."
He opened the door, and the seemingly ongoing discussion suddenly came to a halt. Six men of various ages sat in the room, all clothed in dark robes and emitting an aura of authority. All in front of their own separate table. They eyed Zuko with clear, visible aversion. Taisan bowed before them, seemingly not picking up the sudden tension, "Greetings my lords, please accept my apology for letting you wait."
Two of the small tables were still free, standing at the head of the room, three lords to either side and Taisan quickly sat down behind one of them, motioning for Zuko to take the last one. Hesitantly the younger prince followed. He felt like an intruder, he was sure he didn't belong there.
A grey-bearded man with hollow cheekbones said more or less what he thought, "Taisan, who are you bringing here?"
The older prince closed his blind eyes, smiling. With a gentle, calm voice he answered, "He's my guest for tonight."
"He's Ozai's son.", another lord cut him off. It sounded accusingly and Zuko recognized that his father was apparently not very popular with these people.
"He's my brother!", Taisan had raised his voice, but then calmed down immediately, "I guarantee you, he won't tell our father about anything we talk about, you have my word."
Everyone remained silent for a long moment before an ancient looking man spoke, "Over the past three years, you have proven yourself. Since you are Sargon's grandson, I trust that you're a man of your word.", then he turned to Zuko, smiling friendly, "Welcome, young one."
Taisan added, "Zuko, please excuse their mistrust. For over a hundred years, none of our families have earned the Fire Lord's favor, so we don't have a favorable opinion of him either."
"That's an understatement.", the ancient man huffed under his breath, making the others chuckle.
"You don't know much about us, do you, child?", the man who had spoken first asked. Zuko shook his head, "I thought so. The people in the capital deem us unimportant. But who does the work for them? Who collects the harvest so they can eat? Who provides the soldiers to protect them?"
"We were there before the capital, we will be there when it's gone.", the ancient man added.
Zuko felt confused, his thoughts were racing, and he had no idea what to say to reply. He felt like he just stepped into a dragon's lair. Thus, he jumped as something moved besides him. It was the servant, Hailancha. He had put up a small cup and held what seemed to Zuko as a small teapot. He just halted mid-movement as he noticed Zuko's surprise.
"Hailancha.", Taisan's voice sounded on the other side, "Nothing for us tonight, thank you. We'll stick to tea."
The servant cast his gaze down for a moment, before he replied, "Yes, my Lord.", and took the small teapot with him, leaving them with the surprised, and slightly offended looks of the other lords, before returning with a normal-sized steaming teapot and matching cups. Zuko wondered about all of this and thought about asking his brother later.
"Why is the Lord of Zhi-Jing not drinking with us tonight?", one of the men spoke. He had been silent before. A steel-gray beard framed his strict-looking face, as he fidgeted with a jade ring on his thumb. "And the young prince also not?"
Taisan smiled, his blind eyes downcast, "Lord Gao, he's just a child. It would stir up more trouble if he would share a cup of Sake with us. As for me,", he paused, weighing his head from one side to the other, "She who commands my heart is not in favor of it, so I'll pass as well."
A silence full of knowledgeable smiles and small chuckles left a surprised prince staring at Taisan. First, apparently it was custom between these folks to drink together. Second, his brother had just saved him from joining unknowingly. And third, apparently, there was a woman in his brother's life. He wondered if Taisan was married. Maybe he even had kids…
Without him noticing much, the conversation had already started again and was seemingly mid-discussion already. "What do you mean, he rejected?", Lord Gao asked angrily.
"It means, what I said.", Taisan replied with a serious expression on his face, "I moved a komodo rhino over a silk thread, but he won't grant us any relief, not even in the form of a small tax cut. In the contrary, he expects us to send more troops for the war."
Zuko didn't know the proverb, but thought to himself to ask later, as everyone else seemed to understand perfectly and he didn't want to stand out as the stupid kid.
"Impossible!", the ancient man hit his table with his fist in his rage, "How are we supposed to keep everything running like this? Money doesn't grow on trees!", a few others joined his rant angrily.
"My Lords, Lord Oshan, please calm down. No need to exaggerate ourselves.", Taisan's calm voice interrupted, "I thought about this a lot. For the time being, we have to deal with the natural disasters ourselves, but that doesn't mean the smaller islands have to shoulder it alone. Even the resources of my family are not infinite, but for now, they should be sufficient. If you need extra money to restore the roads and other infrastructure, I will make up for it."
"You don't have to do that.", Lord Xian threw in, "If we all go to the Fire Lord tomorrow,…"
Taisan interrupted him, his voice a bit raised with anger and frustration, "He won't even hear our case should we come tomorrow! We need to act on our people's behalf. At the moment, I really don't see another way. As for the troops, I can't help with that. But maybe it was just said in rage and he won't act upon it. If he still insists, we'll just hang up a few posters. Too bad if our folks see their place rather on an actual field than a battlefield."
"The whole war was a stupid idea from the beginning.", the ancient Lord Oshan muttered.
Later, Taisan insisted on walking Zuko back to the palace, but this time, Hailancha went with them, the black clothed servant always a few steps behind. He still scared the young prince, only when they had left the inn had he noticed the sword on the servant's side.
"Why did you not want me drinking?", was the first thing he asked.
His older brother chuckled, "Do you think I'm not able to hold that liquor?", he asked back with an amused undertone.
"N-No, I didn't mean that.", Zuko stammered.
Another chuckle followed, "It is as I said, you're still a child. You shouldn't drink with those old men and me. As your brother I have a responsibility to keep you from such uh, reckless activities."
"Reckless activities?", Zuko laughed, "Do you know what I've lived through the last three years?"
"I heard about it.", Taisan replied simply, leaving the other prince to wonder how much he really knew. There was an undertone in Taisan's voice, Zuko couldn't place.
He waited a little while before asking, "Why would you step up with the money, after father declined it? Isn't that disrespectful?"
The older prince shook his head, his expression becoming serious again, "No, I don't think so. First, I don't think he cares what I waste money on, I think that's how he'd put it. But more importantly, those people need help, and since I have the means to do so, it would be cruel to deny them."
"You're not thinking of them owing you afterwards?", Zuko raised an eyebrow.
"Not everyone is like our sister, Zuko.", Taisan replied calmly. "My family has always felt a deep care for their people, and so have the families of the lords you just met. It is a relationship built on trust and love, so cut it with someone owing to me."
Another silent few minutes followed. Suddenly, Zuko jumped as Taisan took out a small object from inside his cloak. It was a pipe, artistically adorned with a dragon motive. He just stared as his brother filled it with material he kept in a small pouch and then casually lit a small flame between his thumb and finger to light it.
The flame made Zuko's mouth dry and his eyes widen. It was of a white color, like a pearl, and seemed so very precise, much more than when he bended. Shocked, he stuttered, "You-you're smoking?", smoking was uncommon at least in the capital. Firebending worked in correlation with your breath after all, so it was considered almost sinful.
His brother's laughter snapped him back to reality, "Don't worry, little brother, this is not tobacco, nor opium.", he grinned at Zuko, a small translucent cloud wavering around him, "These are just herbs. After I was poisoned, the blindness stayed, and sometimes, my eyes will still hurt. But this,", he held up the pipe, "Will ease the pain."
"Oh,", Zuko searched his brain for a smart reply, "Does your wife mix them for you?"
This time, Taisan actually stopped and laughed loudly, "My wife? I don't have a wife. Why would you think that?"
"You spoke of a woman that commands your heart earlier…", Zuko blushed, "So of course, I assumed."
"Given that I'm old, I'd speak of my wife and no one else.", Taisan added giggling, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think father would grant me any marriage to begin with. Let alone the person I'd prefer. So, my Qinglu stays with me without my father's blessing and without any promises. She stays because she wants to. Still, I try not to anger her too much."
Zuko just blinked for a moment, remembering that Qinglu meant Sweetheart. So, his brother had some kind of live-in girlfriend. He was snapped back into the present by Taisan's voice, "Do me a favor and don't tell the old man, or our sister, about her, yes? She's not a danger to anyone, and I don't want someone to think she might be."
The younger prince nodded, "Earlier you said a proverb about a komodo rhino, what did that mean? Everyone else seemed to get it, so I didn't want to stand out asking…"
"It means to try everything to achieve one's goal, even if you have to ridicule yourself for it. Didn't help though.", Taisan shrugged his shoulders. "You should really visit us some time."