Chapter 3

The Fire Lord entered his tent, the door swished closed, and Izara stood for a moment, feeling taken aback. She knew that the Fire Lord was a bit older than her, but the smile he gave her made him seem like he was still a teenager. Knowing it would be strange for her to stand outside his tent all day staring into space, she shook her head to dispel her thoughts.

Her Uncle would be heading this way, looking for a fight with her. Instead of going to her tent, she went to see the cooks about getting the Fire Lord some food. As usual, the men she walked past nodded politely, which she always returned. Swiftly and quietly, she moved through the tents and found that some soup was almost ready to be served. One of the young male cooks had a bit of a crush on her and never missed an opportunity to give her something extra and flirt with her a little. The food wasn't great, but a little extra piece of bread or an extra piece of fruit was lovely. He put together two servings, one for the Fire Lord and one for herself, with some warm crusty bread. She thanked him kindly, and he flushed red up to his ears and smiled in return.

She returned to the tents, careful not to spill the meals everywhere. Usually, her Uncle would eat with his Captains, so she usually ate in the kitchen area for convenience. She made sure to keep her pace slow enough to steady the tray. Once she stood outside the Fire Lord's tent, she made her presence known and waited until she was permitted entry.

When she entered, she pushed her rear through the tent door first to keep the tray steady and turned around to find the Fire Lord adjusting his robes. Although she tried not to, she could notice the sharp outline of muscle underneath the fabric. She worked with soldiers, who weren't always modest, and some were more than happy to walk around shirtless. Still, she wasn't exactly immune to an attractive man. However, this was the Fire Lord, so she immediately dropped her eyes, looked at the tray, placed the food on his small table, and told him what the soup was.

"Thank you for bringing it all the way here." He brushed some hair off his shoulder and sat down at the table. "Is that for you? You may join me if you like." When she hesitated with a blank face, he continued. "Please sit and eat with me. Or will you make me sit here alone, in a war camp tent?" he smirked faintly, teasing her a little.

Immediately, she sat down and placed her food on the table with a slight fumble.

"Don't be so nervous. I hate coming to war camps. No one ever talks to me because I'm the Fire Lord, so I get bored. I also don't get to talk to people my age a lot unless my friends are visiting the Capital." he said quietly and stirred his soup. His tone was relatively open and friendly, more so than she expected.

"I don't really get to talk to many people here either. I'm usually too busy," she responded with an awkward huff and smile, showing her uncertainty although she tried to hide it.

Unfortunately, though he did ask her to, she couldn't just switch off her nervousness. She took a breath to centre herself as silently as she could and began to eat with him quietly. It was the first thing she had eaten today, so she made sure she took her time and didn't spill everything all over herself while eating with royalty. He was surprisingly open and relaxed with her, so she guessed she should try to be the same.

"So, how long have you been in the army for?" he asked, making impersonal conversation with his guest.

"I'm technically not in the army, My Lord. I'm just helping my Uncle," she replied quietly, hoping she wasn't giving the wrong answer.

"Hmm. I expected from your analysis earlier that you had been enlisted for quite some time. How old are you?" He ran a thumb across his chin in a thoughtful gesture.

"I am 24, My Lord. To be fair, being here has given me some experience in battle plans despite my short years." She replied with a somewhat cryptic tone, which he did not question.

Before she could realise it, she was already starting to relax. The Fire Lord seemed a lot less terrifying and intimidating up close. Possibly because he was so close to her in age or talking to her informally, he didn't feel like royalty. She was sure that would be different if he was commanding or in a meeting. He seemed a little awkward, but not because he was straining to be polite or trying too hard to be nice. It was more like he just wasn't as well-practised at it. Maybe that was why he asked her to stay, or perhaps he did get bored with these sorts of things.

"I know that feeling. Your Uncle said that you inherited your father's intelligence. Who was your father?"

"He was General Zaigan in the Navy. He passed away when I was very young, fighting in the Hundred Year War. I didn't really know him. I heard that he was an impressive strategist and fire bender." Izara sipped her water, feeling less strange about eating with the Fire Lord as time passed.

"Zaigan…Zaigan…His name seems familiar, but I cannot remember his achievements. I'm sorry about his passing as well." He made eye contact with her, and she waved him off, dismissing his apology.

"As I said, I barely knew him. But thank you." She gave him an appreciative smile in thanks.

"What about your mother?"

"Uh, she passed away just before I turned 10."

Zuko sat back in his seat and put his hand over his face, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I'm really not good at this 'small talk' thing, am I?" She chuckled lightly, and he felt a bit better.

"Actually, you are doing quite well. I almost forgot for a moment that you are the Fire Lord." She answered, and he huffed amusedly.

Abruptly, the sound of her Uncle's voice asking her permission to enter threatened to change the mood in the tent. Zuko casually told him he could enter between spoonfuls of soup.

"Ah, here you are. I was looking for you, Izara." There was repressed anger in his tone, and she hoped the Fire Lord couldn't tell, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his lack of composure.

"Yes, she was kind enough to bring me something to eat. You were right before; she is smart." He was speaking politely, but it sounded to her like he was holding back. "You may have her back when we are finished." he continued eating, not sparing a glance at Uzan.

"O-of course. Thank you, my Lord. I hope she is being respectful." Uzan observed his niece for a moment as she pointedly ignored him.

"Very much so. She is pleasant company." The Fire Lord continued eating, only acknowledging Uzan's presence as much as he had to.

"Good. Izara, I need to speak to you when the Fire Lord is finished with you."

Izara's friendly expression must have died on her face. It faded to one that showed no emotion, almost like she had a switch to turn off her feelings and morals inside her head. Her golden eyes didn't hold the same glint they had a moment ago. She stared into space before nodding her confirmation to her Uncle and looking at her food. She spaced out completely, trying to block out what had happened.

Uzan bowed and excused himself, but Zuko wasn't paying attention to him. Izara stared into her bowl as if deep in thought for a moment before she blinked and changed back to the young girl talking happily moments ago. When she raised her head, she noticed him looking at her with a perplexed expression and gave him a quick smile.

"It seems I was right about getting you into trouble." Though he said it as a statement, he was trying to apologise.

Her expression changed slightly, halfway between what he had seen before Uzan walked in and after. "It's fine. All that matters is the camp and defence lines are set up correctly."

"Does he treat you like this all the time?" he asked with an intrigued tone, but not enough to give away his thoughts.

She assessed his words before responding, choosing her words carefully. He stared and waited, hoping that she would say more. She exhaled and continued, "My Uncle is more than happy to remind me of my…position."

"How long have you been under his...care?"

"Around 4 years now."

"So, you aren't in the army, but he uses you as his own personal servant?"

She couldn't muster any words but pursed her lips in reply, which was all the answer he needed. Zuko did not hide the expression of disgust on his face, and she appreciated it. As a member of the Fire Nation, it was good to know that he had a high moral standard.

Their conversation was suddenly ended by alarm bells, signalling battle formations to be made. Both of them shot out of the tent, forgetting their food, heading to the second perimeter that had been set up while they were eating and talking. There were two lines of men there, ready to fight, and they stood behind them and watched. Although standing behind the Fire Lord was respectful, she took a protective position in front and to his left. If he noticed, he didn't bother to acknowledge it, and Izara fixed her eyes on the hill's top.

Uzan was organising his men just behind the first perimeter, and Zuko watched as they formed their lines. The Supremacists were ready to charge down the hill, and he could hear Uzan's voice barking out orders. If Uzan was right, their enemies were probably half-starved and wouldn't fight much, but they shouldn't let their guard down any less. A cornered animal was still dangerous. Stupidly, her Uncle was fighting on the front line, obviously trying to impress the Fire Lord, but the man had lost his touch years ago and wouldn't last long.

Fire began appearing everywhere as the men reached the bottom of the hill, and Uzan's men defended their line. Izara watched the battle unfold and saw the Supremacist force thin out as they tried to crash through. Their head-on attack was the best chance, but unfortunately, they had not used the high ground to their advantage and would indeed be defeated.

Izara saw a few men dragging her Uncle away from the front line suddenly and saw him clutching his shoulder. He had obviously been injured, and the men were taking him to safety. Zuko looked around and saw that no one was stepping up to take command and heard some of the men asking where the second in command was.

A soldier in front of her turned around to look at her in confusion. "What do we do, Izara? Captain Zarkon isn't here yet."

"Who is here and next in command?" She snapped at him with her own question.

"Uhh...I don't know…" the soldier answered flatly.

She glanced at the Fire Lord, who observed her as he waited to see what would happen. "You will listen to me then." Her voice was firm, and gave them no choice but to listen to her. "Third line, with me!" she yelled so they could hear her.

The men in the front line were holding, but not well enough for her liking. She marched the third line up and commanded them to join the fray. It was adequate to support from a distance without making the front two lines fight shoulder to shoulder. They could send small balls of fire towards their enemies, making them weaker to the lines closer to them and keeping them distracted. Zuko watched, impressed, as she calmly commanded the men, and the Supremacists fell one by one. The second in command, Captain Zarkon, appeared about a minute later. The men informed him that Izara had taken charge due to his absence. Until this point, Zuko had stayed quiet but spoke up when the man looked at him before he turned towards the front line.

"Wait." Zarkon turned back, and the other men turned as well. "Someone else is already doing your job for you, so stay here." He pointed to Izara, standing with her back to them, hair moving in the wind.

They watched as she grabbed a knife hidden in her clothes somewhere and tossed it at an enemy, landing squarely in his shoulder joint as he sprinted at her. He fell face first and skidded to a halt, barely a metre from her. Captain Zarkon stared at the ground, knowing that he was in serious trouble, even more so that the Fire Lord had been there to see it.

It was another 45 minutes until the battle was won. Their enemies were starved and weakened, so they didn't put up much of a fight. They had made special efforts to make sure that they only injured or incapacitated their enemies. Izara didn't slow down for a second and had one group taking the Supremacists into custody, another group stormed their camp, reminding them to be cautious of traps, and the last group stayed at the first perimeter. Once she had told them all what to do, she turned around and began to stroll back towards the second perimeter until her eyes fell upon Zarkon. He was frozen to the spot as she stormed back to stop inches from him and grabbed the front of his shirt. Although she wasn't in the army, and he outranked her significantly, that didn't seem to matter to either of them. She was angry, and he was frightened of her.

"Where the fuck were you?" she hissed at him, venom in her voice, and his eyes were wide with fear. "No matter. I did your job for you." He didn't seem to be able to form words and stuttered before she had enough and threw him backwards, causing him to trip over. "You're an embarrassment. Get out of my sight." Her voice was loud enough for him to hear, and he scrambled to his feet and zipped away as fast as he could. She glared at his back as he disappeared into the direction of the tents and shook her head in frustration.

"Well done, Izara." Zuko decided to speak up to distract her because he was impressed by her quick thinking and leadership.

She made eye contact with him and began walking over to him. Her swift bow was completely horizontal. "My Lord, I apologise that you had to see such disorganisation in your military and my...outburst. I assure you that such a thing will not occur again. Zarkon will be punished for his incompetence." Her dark tone gave him a few ideas of what might happen to those who stood around instead of taking action.

"Shall we go tell your Uncle that the day is won?" He suggested, gesturing towards the direction they had taken the Colonel earlier. He purposely didn't touch on the other issues at hand, but that could be done when he arrived back in the Capital. Uzan would need to be replaced while he healed, and Captain Zarkon needed discipline.

"Yes. That would be wise."

She fell into step next to him, and he could tell she was seething with anger under the surface. Her breathing was controlled, and she was staring at the ground.

"You did well. I am impressed by your ability to lead." He glanced at her sidelong, just enough to see her do the same. "You certainly don't take any shit either."

"Uh, thank you, my Lord. I don't know what to say." The repressed anger in her voice disappeared significantly.

Zuko stopped suddenly, and Izara did the same. He knew her ability was going to waste here, being nothing more than her Uncle's lackey. He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out where she could be better used. She stayed silent and barely moved, appearing to know that the young Fire Lord was thinking and not wanting to disturb his train of thought.

"Hmm…Izara."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Would you consider coming to work as a guard in the Capital City?"

"M-me? A guard in the Capital?" her eyes were wide, and her eyebrows were so high that they threatened to get lost in her hairline.

"Yes. Your instinct is well-developed, and you have excellent strategic analysis. That's exactly the sort of person I want protecting our people and me while we sleep." He smiled to try and reassure her.

"But, my Uncle…" she hesitated, and the excitement in her eyes began to fade.

"Colonel Uzan has no say in the matter. If he has a problem, I dare him to try and broach the subject with me." He smirked as he watched her expression gradually change from unsure to resolute.

"I accept your most gracious offer. Thank you." She bowed so low he was concerned she would headbutt her own knees.

Zuko smiled again, glad to see a new side of her. He couldn't explain it, but he saw something in her. It was as if she was currently embers, and one day she would become a blazing inferno; if given the proper instruction. He could see that she had a sharp mind. Being an assistant to a Colonel for over 4 years would have given her plenty of insight into strategy and tactics. Her exposure to military life had benefited her greatly, and he planned to harness that potential. He noted that he needed to look up details on her father. The name Zaigan rang a bell in his mind. Still, he must have been too distracted by the situation with the Supremacists to recall the information.

They arrived at the medical tent and spoke to her Uncle, quickly informing him what had happened and that the battle was won. He seemed furious but was in too much pain to move. Izara faked sympathy as best she could, and a shared glance between her and Zuko almost made the Fire Lord laugh. He could tell she really didn't care and was just polite. She wouldn't have to worry about this asshole using her anymore.

"Colonel Uzan, I would also like to inform you that I will be taking your niece off your hands. She will be coming to work for me in the Capital. I will allow her a few days to say goodbyes and organise her affairs here." Zuko spoke calmly and enjoyed the widening of Uzan's eyes at the news.

"Iz-Izara, working in the Capital?"

"Yes. You will need to find a new...assistant, Colonel."

Seeing that Uzan was practically speechless, Zuko asked if there were any formalities or meetings he needed to stay for since the conflict was over. Uzan shook his head, still in disbelief, and Zuko said he would be leaving to return to the Capital then. Izara offered to walk him back to the docks, mostly just so she could be away from her Uncle.

"Well then, I'm done here. I will head back to the Capital and inform the Captain that he will have a new guard. Whenever you have finished your business here, please come to the palace and see me. I'll make sure you are looked after." he bowed to her, and she fell to one knee with her hands linked together in front of her.

"Thank you for your generosity. I will not let you down." She lowered her head and tried to keep herself from smiling in excitement.

"Please stand up." Zuko's tone was slightly awkward, but he seemed appreciative nonetheless. He scratched the back of his head as she stood. "I'll see you in the Capital."

She smiled at him and watched him get onto the boat and speak to the Captain briefly. When he finished, he stood with his hands on the side of the ship and gave her a nod before the boat pulled away. She returned it and felt a bit strange for a few moments until she remembered how much paperwork she had to fill out for all the prisoners they took today. More so since her Uncle was injured.

She hated paperwork...