Chapter 16

"My Lord, although I do not wish to alarm you, I think a personal visit with the Avatar would be the right thing to do. The regional instability is growing, and people are getting concerned that they will become pariahs on both sides." Zuko's advisor was right; he should have expected this day.

The meeting was regarding some Fire Nation colonies in Earth Kingdom territory. His looking through rose-tinted glasses probably allowed it to get this far. He supposed it was bound to happen eventually. The idea had been to increase relations between the peoples of both countries and avoid uprooting the lives of those living there. Zuko had declared it part of Earth Kingdom once more, but apparently, there had been some unrest, and it may not have been the right choice.

His advisor was currently meeting with and receiving direct reports from the diplomat he had placed there to try and smooth over the complaints. Some Fire Nation citizens hadn't been happy that they were now living in Earth Kingdom territory, which meant that they were immigrants, despite the circumstances. It did change what they were entitled to, as they were not Earth Kingdom citizens, although they lived within its borders. They were concerned that they would not be looked after correctly, and it seemed that they were partially correct. A few of the Earth Kingdom locals, albeit some of the more radically minded, were not happy that the Fire Nation citizens were allowed to stay and were rather vocal about their displeasure. This had made his people uncomfortable, and a fistfight had even broken out between two men. Of course, not everyone would get along, regardless of where they came from, and he hoped it was all. He had worked incredibly hard to erase the negative reputation of the Fire Nation. He didn't want anything to tarnish it. It was also important to him that his people felt safe and happy where they were and that their Earth Kingdom neighbours were welcoming and kind.

He and Aang decided to return the land to the Earth Kingdom and ensured with the local officials that the Fire Nation citizens would be allowed to stay if they wanted to. Since most of them had been living there for years or even their whole lives, none felt comfortable uprooting their lives and moving across the ocean. Only the Avatar and Fire Lord could genuinely fix the problem.

"My Uncle will be arriving anyway, so I can ask him to keep an eye on things when I am away," Zuko spoke as if he had made up his mind. The advisor stood up and began to get flustered.

"I will organise an airship to take you and a contingent of staff for the trip."

"No, don't. I can't show up like that; it will give the wrong impression. It would be best if I went alone with the Avatar. We will travel faster that way too."

"But, My Lord, you cannot go on your own. We need to organise for guards to go with you." He was getting more flustered and flicking through the pages in his hands.

"Again, I will not be on my own. I do not require any better protection than the Avatar himself. Showing up like we expect a fight isn't putting their minds at ease. We need to present a calm and helpful demeanour. An airship and a contingent of guards isn't going to show that." Zuko wasn't one for making a fuss, and he knew things would be fine if he left his Uncle in charge.

"My Lord…" he trailed off, knowing that the younger man was right and slowly nodded. "I will see that all preparations will be made for you to depart once your Uncle arrives. I will send a letter ahead to inform them of your visit."

"Thank you. That will be all. Please ask Wen to fetch the Avatar so I may discuss this matter with him."

He began making some notes and brainstorming, only lifting his head when he heard the door open. His friend's shaved head appeared on the threshold, and he closed the door behind him before he came and sat down.

"You called for me?" Aang asked with a friendly tone, but he seemed to know that the news wasn't good.

"The colonies in the Earth Kingdom are still having trouble. We need to visit and see what we can do. My Uncle is coming soon, but he was supposed to help advise me with the Supremacists, not do my job.." Zuko answered and sighed as he sat back in his chair.

"We weren't expecting it to all work out. I suppose it's good that it's gone okay this long." Aang was as wise as ever and nodded calmly.

"Apparently, a fistfight broke out in the market regarding one of the Earth Kingdom merchants not wanting to sell to the Fire Nation citizens. This time, things aren't going to be fixed by sending another diplomat."

"Any ideas on what to do?"

"Ugh, I have no clue. We might just have to wait until we see the situation for ourselves. It might be even worse by the time we get there." His tone was pessimistic.

"Or it might not be." Aang's tone was hopeful.

"This is just what I need right now. We are trying to avoid civil war, let alone brawls in the Earth Kingdom." Zuko leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling and groaned.

Their conversation was cut short by a knock at the door. One kitchen staff held a large platter and placed it on the table as Zuko and Aang moved to sit on the couches. Wen ensured he always stayed fed, and she must have requested something extra for Aang. The staff removed the cover to reveal a large serving of pan-fried buns dressed with sesame seeds and spring onions. There were vegetarian ones for Aang and a few with pork for Zuko. The smell wafted through the room, and Zuko remembered his appetite. There was a small bowl with soy sauce and two pairs of chopsticks. They thanked the staff member who disappeared out the door swiftly, and the men wasted no time and began eating straight away.

They chatted about the problem as they ate their fill, quickly demolishing the entire plate. After they were done, Zuko poured each a cup of water, and they talked for another hour or so until Zuko's next appointment arrived. He said goodbye to his friend as Wen showed the person he was meeting inside.

He smiled at them and walked to sit back at his desk once more and prepared his papers before the meeting started…

Izara was sprinting through the palace halls, muttering curses at herself. She had somehow managed to oversleep and was late for a training session with the Fire Lord. Of all people she could've been late for, it just had to be him. When she turned a corner, she noticed a familiar figure tying their hair back to get it out of their way.

"Izara! Don't tell me you're running late too?" The Fire Lord smirked at her, and she nodded with a sigh, slowing down to a stroll.

"Yes, I overslept. My apologies, my Lord." She gave him a quick bow as they walked, but she fell into step just behind him.

"I got stuck while reading some paperwork for a proposal, so I'm late too. No need to apologise. Not even the guy who runs this country can be on time." He admitted with a shrug and a chuckle after he finished tying his hair up.

Abruptly, he stopped walking, spinning on his foot to face her. Izara flinched and looked up at him, wondering what was happening. His brow was knit together, and his mouth downturned. Her eyes widened as she became concerned that she had done something wrong.

"Can you please walk beside me? How often will I have to ask you not to treat me like the Fire Lord when we train? It's one of the only breaks I get from the job!" He crossed his arms over his chest, and since she barely looked him in the eye, she could see the bicep muscles pressing against himself. His tone was firm, but he wasn't actually mad.

"Uhh…" Words didn't come to her mind, although she willed them to, and she just awkwardly mumbled and stared at the floor.

"Please." The yearning in his voice forced her to look up at him, making eye contact with him.

His stance had relaxed, and he had a hand on the back of his neck. He was watching her intently, but the feeling she could hear in his voice and see in his eyes made her nod. In his golden eyes, there was a hint of loneliness that she couldn't ignore, and she realised that might be part of why he treated her a little bit differently. Izara couldn't deny that they were like kindred spirits, even though she hadn't known him for long. When she ignored the vast chasm of their different positions, he was a regular guy and someone she would consider a friend. He was incredibly kind and empathic, with a surprisingly vibrant sense of humour. Suppose he didn't have anyone to talk to like he had mentioned to her previously. That might be why he was reaching out to her, being friendly, and offering to help her train. His friends were spread across the world, so maybe having a friend close to home was all he wanted.

"How should I address you?" She didn't want to become too familiar and risk being disrespectful, so it was best for her to just ask what he wanted.

"Will you call me by my name?" He asked, and she pursed her lips, unsure how to say she didn't think that proper. "What about Sifu? Makes sense while we're training."

"Okay. Sifu it is." Izara agreed with a smile.

She watched his shoulders relax, and a beaming smile came across his face. It was the same smile she had seen when they first met, the boyish smile that made him look so much younger. His eyes crinkled, the gold in them was more vibrant than she had seen before, and her smile grew at the sight. She couldn't help it, and after a moment, they were both grinning like idiots. Although she felt she should, she couldn't look away even as his ears began to turn red, and he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing it nervously.

"Thank you." He spoke quietly, just loud enough for her to hear, but the feelings spoke volumes.

After a few more strange seconds, they kept walking towards the back of the palace. It was early in the morning, and the Fire Lord had asked for an earlier session since his meetings would take him later into the afternoon. She would be busy working by that point. This was her first day of work for the week, and they hadn't been able to organise something on her days off. He had asked for an early morning session, so they didn't have to wait until late this week to train.

They had a quick warm-up and stretch, and Izara felt particularly tight in her lower back, glutes and hamstrings, so she took a bit extra time to stretch those out. It was lingering tightness from her last training session in Suki's group; she had worked hard but was feeling it now. The muscle soreness had been challenging to navigate yesterday, and getting downstairs had been slower than usual.

"Sore?" He asked, tilting his head to one side as he stretched his neck muscles.

"Just muscle tightness. Suki's session the other day was tough. Good, but tough."

A soft yelp escaped her as she rotated her arm in small circles, rolling her shoulders backwards. There was a tinge of pain and discomfort in her left side, and she wracked her brain to try and figure out what they had done the other day to cause it. She flinched when she felt warm hands on her shoulder.

"Tell me where it hurts." The Fire Lord's deep voice was soft and kind just next to her head, and she relaxed and let her arms drop to her sides.

"Just underneath my shoulder blade." She answered quietly and winced as she felt his thumbs move across the tight muscles with just the right amount of pressure.

His hands were warm like firebenders usually were. Still, it felt like he was pulsing more heat into them as he massaged the offending knot out of her muscle. She couldn't but sigh audibly as the tension began to release, and the discomfort gradually lessened to almost nothing. The extra heat had helped to loosen and relax the muscles, like a hot bath, but more targeted. He continued and did the right side, and she felt much better within minutes.

When she felt the heat of his hands leave her, she opened her eyes, not even noticing that she'd closed them until now. She looked over her shoulder at him, and her expression must have been amusing as he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him.

"Better now?" He asked, speaking just as softly as he had before.

"Where did you learn that?" Her voice was an odd mix of relief and incredulousness.

"Uhh, it was a technique that I partly appropriated from Katara. She taught me a bit about how she heals with waterbending and how to release muscle tension for healing. Still, she sometimes needed warm or hot water for some injuries. I figured it would work with firebending, and it did." His answer was slightly bashful as if he was shy to admit his brilliance.

"That's incredibly clever. You could make a lot of money on that, but I imagine you're busy enough already." She could manage her a since she felt much more physically relaxed.

"Let me know if you need my services anytime. The first one is free, but I won't charge you too much next time." With a smug tone, he continued to stretch himself and prepare for their session but couldn't entirely wipe the smirk off his face.

"How much would it be from now on? I don't know if I can afford such a high-quality service." She rose to his teasing and responded in kind.

"Well, if you take me out for noodles, I'll look after you for free." He was switching the charm on now, and she couldn't help but enjoy it. If she got to eat excellent food and got a massage too, what's not to like about that arrangement?

"I can do that." She moved her arms and shoulders again and revelled in how pain-free it was.

"Shall we go through everything from the start?" Zuko suggested, and she nodded and took a spot near him, but not too close. They would run into each other.

They covered every beginner and intermediate set, and he appeared surprised when she followed along reasonably well with the first three advanced sets. She needed to adjust and ask about a few things, but she felt she was improving. Or hoped she was, at least.

Slowly, he broke down the first of the three sets, and they worked through it for the next 20 minutes and did the same with the other two. He asked her to keep practising them and reminded her of a few basic things she needed to keep in mind, her breathing and posture, which had lowered the power in some of her techniques.

"I can't believe how far you've come already. How long have you been at the palace now? A couple of months?" He said as they finished up and drank some water.

"Almost 6 months now." After thinking about it for a moment, she checked her maths first.

"Suki wants you to move up to the next group but tells me you don't want to." He sat down on a small bench, and Izara copied him, sitting down as well but being careful to leave a respectful amount of space between them.

"No, I would prefer to take things slow. It's always good to practice and reinforce your basics. They're so important, and I enjoy getting to know others in the group who haven't been here much longer than me." Izara responded and then realised that she might have said too much, judging by the look on Zuko's face.

"Are you ever going to tell me about what you did before you were with your Uncle? Or show me what you can really do?" He asked with a half-joking, half-serious tone, but she knew she couldn't keep things from him forever. She was mainly worried that he would think less of her if he knew the truth, and she couldn't bear him being disappointed in her.

"There are things I should probably tell you, but I am concerned about actions that you may have to take if you knew the truth about me." His expression became serious, but he hid his thoughts well. "Also, you may not see me the same anymore." She tried her best to stop but felt her voice waver a little.

"Isn't the person you are now more important? I tried to kill the guy that's now my best friend for years. We've all done things we regret." He turned to face her on the bench as he spoke, putting his arm over the back of it. "None of us are perfect. Besides, I like the person you are now."

His profound words surprised her, and she stared at him with widened eyes and her mouth open as she took it all in. Realising she must look like an idiot, she snapped her mouth shut and dropped her head as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She had been complimented and flirted with, but saying something so kind and genuine about who she was as a person and not just how she looked; was different. She was grateful for his words, and they made her feel a bit less nervous about how he would react when she told him about her past.

"Thank you. You're very kind." Feeling shy, she still couldn't look at him but hoped that her appreciation was still evident.

"You're welcome." His voice was soft and calming.

After taking another mouthful of water, he stood up, and Izara stood up. He would need to go by now, so she didn't want to keep him any longer. He turned to face her again before he spoke.

"So when are you taking me for noodles?" He asked with a serious tone but struggled to hide the smile and the mirth in his eyes.

"Whenever it works for you, Sifu." Using the title pointedly, he huffed and nodded slowly before he placed an arm over his chest. The other rested on it so he could rub his chin thoughtfully.

"How does this week work for you? I don't have any evening meetings." He offered, and Izara scrunched her nose up.

"I'm working the afternoon shift for the next few days." She answered with some reluctance.

"Ah, why don't we eat together in the cafeteria on your break, then?" It wasn't a suggestion she expected, but she was pleased nonetheless.

"That's good for me. I normally have a break at about 7.15pm." Although she knew it, she couldn't help but smile like a dork.

"Sounds like a date." His unscarred cheek was slightly flushed with pink.

His attention was drawn by something behind her, and his face fell a bit. When Izara turned to look, she saw Wen and gave her a quick nod of greeting, which the older woman politely returned. She knew that Zuko had to go and looked back towards him with a smile, not betraying her thoughts.

"Sorry, got to go." He said and nudged her arm softly with the hand holding his water bottle before he headed on his way.

"Thanks again." She called out after him and watched as he turned to wave to her as he walked backwards, heading towards the palace.

Since she didn't have to start work for some time, Izara walked back inside, finishing the water in her bottle as she strolled. Heading towards her shared room, she grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the baths to clean up. Unfortunately, it took her a bit longer to do these routine everyday tasks, as she felt pretty distracted. Did the Fire Lord ask her on a date, or was he using the term in a platonic fashion? He had told her that he liked who she was shortly before that, but it could have been in a friendly way. It didn't necessarily have to be romantic. Friends should be able to say these things to each other.

Maybe she could ask Suki since she was close to him. It wasn't as if she had extensive experience in making friends or romantic relationships, so there wasn't much of her knowledge to call upon.

To kill time before she had to start her shift, she continued reading her book but couldn't quite get the image of Zuko's smile out of her head…