When Zuko and Kitsu arrived at the formal dining room Iroh was already seated in their personal booth. He smiled and waved at them over a plate of roast duck and a steaming cup of tea. "Kitsune! You must try this! It's so delicious!" Iroh exclaimed as they reached the table.

Kitsu smiled at the old man affectionately. "I hope you left some food for me, Uncle." Kitsu teased as Lee helped her slide into the booth across from Iroh. "Where is Ai?" She asked curiously, but Mooshi only shrugged as he stuffed a dumpling into his mouth. The table was set with a feast unlike anything Kitsu had ever seen, and the plates were so beautiful she was nervous to touch them.

"You're going to choke." Zuko chided grumpily as he crossed his arms and looked around the dining room. He was a lot more comfortable on open water, but he wasn't about to assume that his sister's agents hadn't infiltrated the boat somehow.

"Lighten up, Lee." Kitsu said with a smile. She could tell he was tense, but he'd been that way since they'd left the suite. She followed his eyes and scanned the room herself, hoping to see Ai somewhere. It didn't take long for her to realize that Ai wouldn't be among the affluent crowd. The girl would have stuck out like a sore thumb in her plain woven dress. She caught sight of a waiter and was about to flag him down but faltered. Was that the right way to do this? She had no idea, she'd never eaten at a sit in restaurant before. Sure she'd gotten food from street vendors but this was completely different.

Zuko watched Kitsu struggle internally from the corner of his eye. She was obviously trying to summon the waitstaff but couldn't quite manage the courage. A faint smile tugged at his lips. She could boss a lord around in his own palace but she was afraid of summoning a waiter. Such an odd woman. Deciding to help her Zuko raised his hand and caught the waiter's attention.

"How may I help you, my lord?" All of the waiters wore a plain black uniform, making them look one and the same with each other.

"My wife is worried about her traveling companion. Please have a message sent to her room that we are taking supper and would like for her to join us." He turned and looked down to Kitsu. "Is there anything else?" He asked gently. She shook her head and he returned his gaze to the waiter. "That will be all for now." He dismissed the man and looked at his uncle who was watching the two intensely as he ate his roast duck. Zuko knew what that look meant. His Uncle was noticing his altered behaviour, and probably had a few words to say about it, but he hoped to Agni that his uncle would not say anything embarrassing.

Iroh had noticed the change in Zuko from the moment his nephew helped Kitsu into the booth. He hadn't seen Zuko so attentive and gentle since he was a young boy. He wondered, perhaps foolishly, if his nephew had taken his words to heart.

"Umm…" Kitsu embarrassed by the question she was about to ask. "How do we get food?" Her stomach was roiling with hunger, and the pronounced way the boat swayed beneath them didn't make it any easier on her.

"They will bring your plates soon. I had barely gotten settled by the time mine arrived." Iroh reassured her. He knew that the changes she was enduring would be hard for her, and couldn't imagine how strange Kitsu must feel to be surrounded by people and among the world again.

"We don't have to make an order?" Kitsu didn't understand how the kitchen would know what she wanted if they didn't ask.

"Places like this usually have a fixed menu that changes for every meal." Zuko explained as he reached across Kitsu and plucked up a menu card for her to examine. "Instead of taking orders they bring you whatever they've prepared."

Kitsu took the card and scanned over it. There was a very brief list that appeared to consist of what was already on their table. "How do they expect us to finish our food?" Kitsu asked as she realized exactly how much food would be brought to them.

"They don't." Lee said with a shrug. The look of horror on Kitsu's face nearly made him laugh.

"I'm sure that seeing such waste is shocking to you." Iroh said calmly. "But you will be seeing a lot more of it very soon." Iroh's memories of the lavish homes of the Earth Kingdom nobles and the opulence they enjoyed made him confident on the matter.

"Can't we just share your plates? There is already plenty for all of us here." Kitsu asked with a look of concern. Someone had grown that food, and raised it. Someone else had put time and effort into preparing it. Throwing it away would be an affront to the universe in Kitsu's mind.

"That would catch the attention of every noble in here." Zuko murmured. "We can't do something like that." He watched as Kitsu frowned deeply. She was clearly affronted by the idea of such waste in the name of appearances.

"What about the people on the lower decks?" Kitsu asked pointedly.

"What about them?" Zuko asked as he looked at her out of the corner of his withered eye.

"I'm sure they don't get to eat like this!" Kitsu responded in disgust. "If it's anything like my experience they are eating cold food that's barely fit to feed the sheep-pigs." A deep frown set into her face as she looked back to the food and shook her head. "We could all eat our fill if it wasn't for this wasteful behaviour."

Iroh grunted and nodded. He had a sincere appreciation of Kitsu's sombre wisdom. And the passion with which she conveyed her beliefs reminded Iroh of her father. "You are right of course." The old General agreed with a sage nod. "But circumstances being what they are, we are in no position to champion the hungry."

Kitsu looked into Iroh's buttercream eyes and nodded reluctantly. He was right. They weren't safe by any means, and raising any suspicion or alarm could lead their pursuers to them.

Zuko watched as Kitsu sat back and sighed in disappointment. He could almost feel the frustration rolling off of her. He couldn't imagine being so bothered over something like that. Some people ate like kings and some people starved. That's just how things were. Her confidence that implementing restraint and order would solve a basic human issue was respectable, if naive. To see her pained by the obvious inequality bothered him, no matter how absurd it may have seemed to him. Zuko set his jaw and decided quietly that he would do something about it.

At that moment the waiter returned and nodded a bow to their table.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Your companion is not appropriately dressed to enter the dining room. If it would be acceptable we can ensure that she is well cared for on the coach deck." The waiter's smile put Kitsu off. It didn't reach his eyes, and it was barely disguising his distaste.

"No that will not be acceptable." Kitsu responded curtly. Mooshi and Lee both looked at her from the corners of their eyes. "I will not have my travel companion eat alone." Kitsu had promised to keep Ai safe. She wasn't going to take that promise lightly, and Ai was a walking accident waiting to happen.

The waiter swallowed and rung his hands. "I'm sorry my lady, but it is against the rules." Kitsu's frown morphed into a downright scowl. Mooshi's eyebrows rose in surprise and Zuko's mouth tightened. He'd seen that look a number of times and it didn't mean anything good.

"Is there a tailor on the ship?" Mooshi asked the waiter. The poor man in black nodded and flicked his eyes between the nobles. "Please escort my niece's companion to the tailor and purchase something suitable for her. Charge it to the lady's suite. Then bring her here." Iroh turned to Kitsu to see if this was acceptable, as did Zuko and the waiter. Kitsu's look softened and she nodded. If it would mean that she could keep Ai under close watch then she supposed it was the only option. Nevermind her nerves about how they would pay once they got off the ship.

"As you wish." The waiter bowed again and slipped away.

"Thank you, Uncle." Kitsu sighed in relief. She should have kept her cool, but she wasn't going to force Ai to be excluded over clothing. The idea was absolutely absurd to her. Her mind was reeling with the pains polite society went to in order to alienate the less fortunate.

"Don't mention it." Iroh waived his hand and took another bite of his dinner. "Besides, I was beginning to miss our talkative little friend." He finished with a chuckle.

"How long will we be on the ship?" Kitsu asked after a long pause.

"Two days at most." Zuko answered. "I think there is a storm coming that might slow us down by several hours." The cumulonimbus clouds he saw gathering on the horizon on their way to the dining room didn't bode well for Kitsu's comfort. If they were lucky it would pass right by them but one never knew.

"How do you know?" Kitsu asked curiously. Her knowledge on seafaring was admittedly lacking, and she wanted to learn more about her husband.

"Lee is an excellent cloud reader. He has a gift for it." Iroh replied with a proud grin for his nephew.

Zuko wrinkled his nose and shrugged at the compliment. "I just know the signs. Any man who commands a ship for three years ought to know how to read the skies." His answer was dismissive to say the least.

"You commanded a ship?" Kitsu asked in surprise. She had no idea her husband was a captain. It made sense. His bearing and discipline, his comfort in a position of leadership, it all pointed to the habits of a military man.

Zuko realized that he'd revealed more about himself than he had anticipated. "Yes." He grumbled. "I don't want to talk about it." If Kitsu didn't drop the subject he would be forced to come up with answers to difficult questions.

Kitsu blinked at Lee with knit brows. Could it be he got his scar in battle? Did it have something to do with his time as a captain? How could he be so young and yet have held such a command? So many questions came up in her mind but his tone warned her not to ask them. She felt a ploom of warmth crawl up her chest as she regarded him and nodded. Once again she was faced with how little she knew about him.

Sensing the awkward silence between the young couple Iroh decided to move the conversation along. "Your dress is lovely, Kitsu. The colour suits you."

"Thank you." Kitsu gave a wan smile and nodded her head just as a waiter appeared with a mountain of food. As the waiter set the food on the table Iroh gave Zuko a stern look, causing the prince to grimace.

"I thought the same thing." Zuko added blandly. It wasn't smoothe but it might get his uncle off of his back.

"Thanks." Kitsu murmured, poking at her plate of food. She felt unnerved by Lee's return to has same awkward behavior around her. He'd been pressed against her bare chest less than an hour before and now he was stoic and aloof as ever. Kitsu flushed as she huffed the thought out of her mind.

"Kitsu!" Ai's exuberant voice broke the silence and the trio looked up to see her waiving and rushing across the dining room towards them in a bright yellow cheongsam, with the mortified waiter in tow. A few heads turned to look at the noisy girl causing Kitsu to cover her eyes in embarrassment.

"Thank you so much for the new dress!" Ai chimed as she slid into the booth next to Iroh. "This jerk almost didn't let me come see you!" She jabbed an accusatory finger at the waiter who barely contained a scowl as he bobbed and slipped away.

"I know, Ai." Kitsu groaned. "Please lower your voice."

"Oh!" Ai looked around at her spectators and giggled. "I'm sorry, I'm just so excited. I've never been anywhere so fancy!" She gasped at the food on the table and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "This food looks amazing!"

As Mooshi engaged the young girl in exuberant conversation, Zuko leaned over and whispered in Kitsu's ear. "Next time we leave her in the coach deck." He joked. Kitsu slapped his thigh in mock insult and rolled her eyes. He could tell she was much happier having Ai with them. Even though the girl was noisy and easily excitable he could tell that she had a calming effect on Kitsu. More than once Kitsu had stuck her neck out for the young girl, despite the fact that the maid had tried to blackmail them. His 'wife' seemed to always be willing to trust people that she shouldn't. Zuko frowned as he realized that the list included his name. She was always ready to put herself on the line for strangers, and as much as he benefited from her heart of gold, it worried him.

"I've never had a yellow dress before!" Ai announced with a broad smile. "It's so pretty I could die!" The young woman ran her hands over the silky garment and thumbed the neat hem work.

"Your mother would eat me for breakfast." Kitsu said with a sarcastic laugh. "Besides… I think we should make sure you have an appropriate wardrobe. We can't have you denied entry to places because I haven't provided you with the proper clothing."

"You mean I will get MORE dresses?" Ai's acorn colored eyes twinkled in amazement.

"I think so." Kitsu nodded thoughtfully. "At the very least we need to get you something that will be suitable to meet my family in."

"There is a spa on board the ship." Iroh offered. "You ladies should go there tomorrow for a spa day, and purchase clothing for our arrival." Even Kitsu's eyes widened at this idea.

"What does that entail?" Kitsu asked nervously.

Once they had all eaten their fill the four travelers parted ways to turn in for the night. Zuko wheeled Kitsu back towards their room, walking slowly. He wasn't sure he was ready to be alone with her just yet. Each encounter he had with her seemed to make his control slip even more. The night air was cool and the waves lapped gently against the edge of the boat as they made their way to the upper decks.

"Stop here." Kitsu requested once they were half way across. Zuko looked down to see her face turned towards the heavens and her eyes scanning the night sky in wonder.

"What's the matter?" Zuko asked tiredly.

"The sky is so pretty out here." Kitsu murmured into the gentle breeze as the boat swayed slowly.

"I guess it is." Zuko agreed as his own amber eyes drifted upward among the stars. They fell silent for a long time as they stargazed.

"Why did you marry me?" Kitsu asked suddenly. Zuko nearly choked at her question. He'd dreaded these inevitable questions. She was beginning to really wonder, and he didn't know how much longer he could lie to her. It was beginning to turn his stomach each time he dug himself deeper.

"What?" He blurted in surprise.

"You heard me." She challenged gently. "There had to be a reason."

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck nervously and looked down at the boards of the deck as he reached for an answer. "Because you took care of me." He said with a shrug. "Even when you had every reason not to." It was a big stretch of the truth, but it was what he had to work with.

"Thats all?" Kitsu asked, seeming unimpressed. He'd married her because she was a good caregiver? That wasn't exactly romantic.

Zuko met her eyes and shrugged once more. "You were kind to me… and I think you're the strongest person I've ever met." Zuko didn't say that lightly. Kitsu was tough as nails, nobody could argue with that. He watched as a smile tugged at Kitsu's lips before she shivered.

"Come on, let's get you inside." Zuko pushed her rolling chair onward and traversed the last of the distance to their suite. Inside of the suite a servant had lit candles during their absence and the room was lit with mild candlelight.

As Zuko bent and helped Kitsu to stand he realized how comfortable this routine had become. He lowered her onto the mattress and rather than pull away he kept his arm around her and sat next to her wordlessly. "How is your leg, Princess?" He murmured. Kitsu wasn't looking at him, her eyes were downcast. She was trying not to smile and failing badly.

"Annoying." She admitted with a shrug. "I can't wait to be able to walk again." Or run, or jump, Kitsu thought.

"It will be another day or two before you should try." Zuko looked at Kitsu, as her eyes remained glued to the floor.

"Whatever you say, Hotshot." She replied with a flippant wave of her hand. Zuko frowned and scowled at her.

"Hotshot?" He parroted, giving her a nudge with his shoulder.

"What? Did you think you were the only one who could come up with nicknames?" Kitsu teased with an easy laugh. She looked up from the floor and smiled broadly at Lee.

Zuko felt frozen to the spot. Looking down at Kitsu's sweet smile, everything in him wanted to kiss those plump, smiling lips and take her sarcastic breath away. He watched as the vein in the crook of her neck beat traitorously fast. A fire raged within him as he looked into discs of honey and spring moss. Kitsu's unique beauty had grown on him until she consumed his desires with her harlequin eyes.

"I need to go speak with Uncle." Zuko murmured after a pregnant silence. The air crackled between them, and if he didn't extract himself he would do something truly dishonourable.

"Oh, alright." Kitsu was disappointed, but wouldn't protest. Peeling her eyes off of his rugged face she attempted to calm her pounding heart. It seemed her traitorous heart would thunder every time she met his amber eyes. Sometimes, she thought, he reminded her of a big cat when he looked so intensely at her. She was extremely tired, and yawned as Lee stood and put space between them. The all too familiar chill of the space he no longer occupied made her shiver involuntarily.

"I won't be long." Zuko reassured as he turned on his heel and exited the room, hardly pausing to collect his dual swords and secure their scabbard over his shoulder. Before Kitsu could ask why he needed weapons he slipped out of the door into the night air.

Zuko stood on the covered deck for a moment, surveying his surroundings. Realizing he was alone he crept over to the railing and as silently as a cat scaled onto the roof of the top deck. The breeze whipped his messy hair as he familiarized himself with the layout of the ship. It took him only moments before he located the kitchens and set his mind to his task. If seeing the hungry fed would make her happy, then by agni he would see it done.

Zuko returned to the Suite long after Kitsu had fallen asleep in the middle of the enormous bed. The lower decks had been given a feast and he hadn't even been spotted by a guard. With a truly exhausted sigh Zuko sank into the bed next to Kitsu and wrapped an arm around her waist. How had he ever slept without her warm little body in his arms?

The next morning Ai wheeled Kitsu towards the recreation deck where the spa was located. Kitsu was nervous to say the least, but Zuko and Iroh seemed to think it was a good idea. When they reached the entrance a middle aged woman in a coral cheongsam greeted them with a motherly smile.

"Lady Beifong, it is an honour." The woman gave a polite bow. "I am Annchi, I manage the day spa. Will you be indulging in our facilities today?"

"Yes." Kitsu replied calmly. "I would like my attendant to be treated as well."

"You are a generous employer!" Annchi chimed. "We can seat you immediately. Will you be taking the imperial package? It is included with your suite."

"I suppose so?" Kitsu swallowed. She was not at all confident about this. What even happened in a spa? Annchi nodded and waived for the two young women to follow her into the spa.

"This will be so much fun!" Ai squealed as she pushed Kitsu into the brightly lit room that was walled with rice paper windows. The breeze swept freely through and made the paper lanterns that hung from the ceiling sway gently. A cloud of perfumed incense enveloped them as they trailed behind Anchi towards a set of doors near the back of the spa.

"You ladies can change in here." Annchi explained as she handed each of them a coral pink bathrobe and matching slippers. The room she referred to was small and had a bench along one side with a mirror facing opposite.

"Thank you." Kitsu rubbed her fingers over the soft robe and felt her stomach turn nervously. Ai wasted no time in wheeling Kitsu into the small room.

"I'll change first and then I'll help you." Ai decided aloud. Kitsu covered her eyes as the other girl began to undress. Ai paused and looked at Kitsu curiously. "Jeez, Kitsu, it's not like we have different parts. Didn't you ever change in front of your sisters?"

"I can't have experiences with siblings I don't have." Kitsu ground out, still shielding her eyes from Ai as she changed.

"You mean you're an only child? That's weird." Ai slipped on her robe and tied it snuggly in the front. "These robes smell so good!"

"How is that weird?" Kitsu snapped defensively.

"Most families have lots of kids. At least more than one. I've just never met an only child before. It must have been lonely growing up… Hey, you can uncover your eyes now. I'm dressed."

Kitsu let her hand drop and shrugged. She had never really allowed herself to ponder the topic of loneliness while she was growing up, or living in her compound. It was just too easy to slip into melancholy if she did.

"Well don't worry about it, you've got me now! It will be just like having a little sister!" Ai said with a broad smile as she slipped an arm around Kitsu and helped the older woman stand. Kitsu couldn't help but smile at Ai's sweet personality. Ai always had a smile and something sweet to say. Kitsu wished she could be that way with everyone. Instead she was awkward and irritable around everyone but Zuko.

Once they were both changed Ai wheeled Kitsu out of the changing room. Annchi was waiting for them with a broad grin just outside the door.

"I've arranged for you ladies to have the sauna to yourselves. It's best to cleanse your bodies of toxins before we begin!" Annchi held out a pair of large towels to the girls as she spoke. Kitsu took the towels in her lap and they followed the cheery woman through a door and down a short hallway. Turning to a set of doors Annchi swung them open and released a billowing cloud of steam. Kitsu's eyes went wide and she looked to Ai in concern.

"It's normal." Ai reassured quietly. "We had a sauna at lord Gumo's palace. I never got to use it, but I've helped guests use it a bunch of times." The young girl gave Kitsu's shoulder a pat.

"It might be best to leave your chair in the hallway." Annchi advised. "The steam may negatively affect the woodwork if you were to take it in with you."

The two young women looked at each other before nodding. Ai helped Kitsu out of the chair and together they slowly hobbled into the sauna. It was like walking into a dragon's breath. Inside the small room there was a series of benches stacked almost like stairs, and a large box of coals with large stones placed on top of them.

"I will return in fifteen minutes to prepare you for your beauty treatments." Annchi informed them before closing the door and leaving the two girls in the dimly lit room.

"It's boiling in here." Kitsu groaned as Ai settled her on the bench. "What is the point of this?"

"It's supposed to sweat out toxins or something." Ai replied as she pulled off her robe and wrapped herself in the towel Annchi had provided. Kitsu, although uncomfortable, followed Ai's lead.

"All I know is the ladies who did it at the palace alway came out glowing!" Ai sat down on the bench next to Kitsu before grabbing a ladle from a bucket full of water next to their feet and pouring the contents onto the hot stones. A fog of steam erupted with a hiss and Ai giggled. "That's always my favorite part." She admitted in a conspiratorial whisper.

Kitsu chuckled as she felt every pore in her body open up. The air was thick with herbs and steam, making her feel light headed, but somehow pleasant. Before long she was sweating profusely.

"Are you excited to see your family?" Ai asked as she wrapped up her long black hair into a bun atop her head. Kitsu grimaced and shrugged.

"Not really." Kitsu confessed. "I've never known my family. My parents always kept me hidden away. I don't know what they will think of me."

"That's just crazy." Ai said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "They're your family, of course they'll love you the second they see you!"

Kitsu scoffed at Ai's naive statement. "My family did this to me." She said pointing at her scar. "I can't exactly be blamed for being cautious."

"Oh." Ai replied, doing her best to hide the shock in her voice. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything." Kitsu reassured as she stretched her aching muscles. She had to admit that the all consuming heat was beginning to grow on her.

"Anyway… I met Lady Poppy once when I was little. She seemed super nice, and she has a daughter the same age as me. Her daughter is blind though. They are really protective of her."

"That seems to run in the family." Kitsu remarked sarcastically.

"I think her name was Taffy or something. I don't know, I wasn't allowed to play with her."

"What kind of name is that?" Kitsu laughed.

"Like I said, I don't really remember." Ai shrugged.

"I haven't even gotten any correspondence from my family. All I know is Lord Gumo was supposed to send a message to them saying to expect me. They might not even know I'm coming." Kitsu eaned back against the wall and fanned herself with her hand. Sweat was dripping down her brow and her hair was becoming too hot. She scooped up her loose bun and rearranged it so that her hair didn't stick to her neck.

"If lord Gumo said he would send a message then he sent a message." Ai replied confidently.

"I hope you're right." Kitsu murmured as she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation of the sauna.

"Besides, it seems pretty clear that people have been expecting you everywhere you go. I can't imagine that news hasn't reached your family that you are heading to Ba Sing Se." Ai was doing her best to calm Kitsu's nerves. If the lady was anything, anxious was a good word for it. "Besides, this spa day will get you all loose and relaxed, so don't worry about anything until later!"

Kitsu opened one eye and smiled at Ai. She figured she could manage that.

"Oh! Did you hear? Someone stole a bunch of food from the kitchens and handed it out on the lower decks! Everyone was talking about it on my way to get you." Ai lit up with intrigue. "They say it was a handsome masked man! Apparently he slipped in and out like a phantom. How dreamy is that?" She asked with a far off, girlish smile.

Kitsu knit her brows together. Lee had been gone nearly all night, supposedly talking to Mooshi. Could he have seen something while he was out of their room?

A knock sounded at the sauna door and Annchi's willowy voice called through to them. "If you ladies are ready to move on your seats in the salon are ready!"

"Just a moment!" Ai called as she stood and pulled her robe back on over her towel.

Once they left the sauna they were seated in the main salon side by side. The air felt absolutely frigid anywhere it touched Kitsu's skin and she struggled not to shiver as a spa worker undid her bun and began washing her hair in a large basin.

"The shampoo smells so good!" Ai exclaimed. "What scent is it?"

"Jasmine." Kitsu answered before either of the attendants could. She would recognize that smell anywhere.

"That's right, my lady." The woman who ran her fingers through Kitsu's hair replied. Everyone sounded too cheery. Kitsu thought. It was so strange not to me treated with short answers and dismissive glances. So many times she had scurried in and out of Guong Shi in the early hours and hardly a soul had paid her any mind. Now she couldn't go anywhere without being recognized by a name she'd never felt was her own.

Over the next few hours Kitsu and Ai were manicured, pedicured, given facials, primped and groomed until they sparkled. Stylists

Zuko sat across from his uncle in the small room where the old general was staying. The low table between them was set with tea and cookies. The young prince was in a terrible mood, and Iroh wasn't sure how to console him.

"How long is this going to go on for?" Zuko grumbled as he stared into his teacup. The faint scent of oolong tickled his nose as he breathed. Why was he even asking such a stupid question. He had to put an end to these lies, but the moment he imagined Kitsu's wounded look he felt his resolve crumble.

"That is a difficult question to answer." Iroh stroked his beard as he spoke. He himself was beginning to worry about the eventual fallout when Kitsu realized their deception. Lying to the young girl was weighing on his conscience although he could tell that Zuko was worse off.

"What am I supposed to do, Uncle? I can't keep lying to her. She's been nothing but kind to us and we've lied to her. Not just a little lie, either." Zuko gripped his hair. "I can't keep this up. She is going to find out the truth and I'm… I'm scared of what it will do to her." The young prince confessed his fears to his uncle.

Iroh examined his nephew closely. Over the past few weeks Iroh had seen Zuko change profoundly, and he would be foolish to think Kitsu had nothing to do with it. "Has something happened?"

Zuko turned red at his uncles question and glared at the coffee table. "Of course not." He gripped his teacup until his knuckles turned white. If he squeezed any harder the delicate porcelain would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.

"Zuko… Do you have romantic feelings for Kitsu?" Iroh knew the answer, but he was not sure if his stubborn nephew had admitted it to himself yet. Everyone had heard of the valiant thief who robbed the first class and fed the lower decks a feast. Iroh had no question who the mysterious hero was.

Zuko pinched his eyes shut and pressed the heels of his hands into them. "Yes." He murmured.

Iroh sat back on his pillow and stroked his beard as he shut his eyes and frowned grimly. "The truth must come from your own lips, Zuko. She cannot learn of your deception from anyone else if you wish to maintain her trust. There is no guarantee she will not resent you, but if she learns the truth from a third party, she may never trust you again."

"Thanks." Zuko snapped sarcastically. "That makes me feel much better."

"I have never sugarcoated the truth for you, Zuko. I have no intention of starting now." Iroh chided. "The decision is yours. If you are the brave prince I think you are, then you will tell her the truth… not only about your relationship… but about how she makes you feel."

Zuko ran an angry hand through his mop of hair and groaned. "I hate this."

Iroh nodded grimly. "I do not envy you, Prince Zuko." The old general confessed.

A knock at the door caught the attention of both men and Zuko rose from his seat to answer the door. A crew member stood outside the door and bowed to Zuko in greeting.

"Pardon me, my Lord." The young man nodded. "Your wife asked me to invite you to the dining room to take lunch with her."

Zuko set his jaw and glanced back at Iroh. His uncle could only nod urgently, dismissing him from their conversation.

The prince of the fire nation sighed and squared his shoulders as though he was walking into battle.