Hello everyone,
I want to first start with an apology. This chapter was supposed to be posted in January, and that did not happen. Between work, school, and life I seem to keep making promises that I can't keep when it comes to updates. Editing is taking longer than I expect and my days feel like they are getting shorter. I am going to do my best to keep a more realistic timeline but I want you all to know that I will never abandon my stories and they will always be finished.
Thank you to everyone for your continued support and for reaching out. I am going to do better and be more consistent in the coming months as well as get back to keeping up with everything on my Instagram so you always know when an update is coming.
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Part Three: The Dawn of Moon and Sun
Chapter Thirty-One: Winter 105 AG
"Did you see the front page of Caldera Secrets?" Ursa began as dinner was served to the Fire Nation royal family.
The Fire Nation Princess took a long drink of the wine that was in front of her. She hardly ever drank anything alcoholic, but she needed something to do and that was the only thing in front of her.
"I can't say that I frequent the gossip scrolls," Katara replied as her plate was placed in front of her. Her eyes followed the gulp that Azula took of the wine.
"Neither do I, but Lady Jiayi was telling me that a certain sword master has been featured," the older woman said with a twinkle in her eye. She had been greatly disappointed when all her matches were unsuccessful with Piandao. But he was such a gentleman and had cared for her children so well that she had hoped to help him find a good wife.
"Oh?" That caught the Fire Lord's attention. Piandao had stayed out of the fray of court gossip for so long that the gossip scrolls hadn't published anything on him in years. He couldn't imagine what Caldera Secrets was publishing. "Azula? Did you see an article about Piandao?"
"Hmm, yes," the Princess replied, lacking enthusiasm. There was something small about him."
"I hardly think the cover is something small," the older noblewoman stated with a raised eyebrow.
"Piandao was on the cover?" Katara asked surprised. She pushed the food around on her plate, the palace chefs were wonderful but for some reason, it didn't seem appetizing to her. "For what?"
"Apparently, he has been making the rounds of the Shu Jing noblewomen," Ursa supplied unknowingly causing distress to her daughter.
"Really?" That was news to the Fire Lord. He had a brief thought of the meeting that Piandao had with him tomorrow, perhaps he should address the affection that Azula has for the sword master.
"According to the article he has been seen out for the past month with a plethora of women," Ursa continued oblivious to the way that Azula's eyes were focused only on her dinner. "I found it very surprising because he seemed to be unready for marriage here at court. But perhaps he just had his interests elsewhere."
"Azula do you know if Piandao is courting anyone in Shu Jing?" Katara asked gently trying to coax her sister-in-law into the conversation. She wondered briefly if that had anything to do with Azula's insistence that nothing could ever come from her affection for Piandao.
"Not to my knowledge," the Princess replied softly. All she could think about was finishing her dinner and leaving this room. She dared not meet the eyes of the Fire Lady who was trying to gauge her reaction.
"I'm not surprised he has not mentioned it to you, Azula," Ursa stated with a small knowing smile. "Romantic endeavors are not an appropriate conversation for a student."
Azula looked anywhere but at her mother. Her stomach soured as her mother continued to speak about Piandao. Azula's only focus was keeping down the few bites of dinner she had taken rather than conversing with her mother.
"Piandao has become quite friendly with Azula, mother," Zuko volunteered. His eyes were on his baby sister. "Their relationship is more than just master and student, but one of friendship as well."
"You are quite right, Zuko," Ursa agreed with her son. She could hear the hardness in his tone. Zuko had taken to defending his sister quite regularly, something Ursa was always surprised by. Though she knew better than to get into a disagreement with the Fire Lord, Ursa couldn't help but wonder why her eldest child was so combative with her recently.
"Mai and Ty Lee were telling me about Tom-Tom's schooling this morning," the Fire Lady transitioned to a new topic of conversation.
"They put him in the Royal Fire Academy for Boys correct?" Ursa asked.
Katara hummed in response. "I am very curious to see how Tom-Tom does. I know the Academy is the best in the country, but I do not know if it is better for Lu Ten to have a private tutor or to be at the Academy."
"The benefit of having him at the Academy is he will be with all the children of the royal court, it could give him an advantage when he takes the throne," Ursa explained to Katara. She knew that her daughter-in-law still struggled to understand all the intricacies of the Fire Nation royal court.
"But perhaps some distance would be good," Katara mused. She wondered if being with all the children would be overwhelming and perhaps time at home being a child when he could be would be better for Lu Ten.
"Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Katara," Jiang interrupted the family dinner. "I wanted to inform you that Master Piandao has returned from Shu Jing and has retired to his room for the evening."
"Thank you, Jiang," the Fire Lady responded with a nod. "Please ask Giya to check in on him and offer him dinner in his room."
"I hadn't realized he was returning tonight," Ursa turned to her youngest child. "Azula, is he here to finish your swordsmanship lessons?"
The Princess did not respond to her mother, having not heard the question.
Katara nudged her husband when Azula failed to respond to Ursa's question. Zuko, at his wife's instance, shrugged, "I'm assuming he's returning for her lessons, though he has an open invitation to the palace. Akio mentioned a meeting with Piandao in the morning, but I can't remember why I called it."
"I'm not very hungry," Azula stated interrupting the conversation regarding the sword master. The Princess stood swiftly. "I'll see you all in the morning."
"Goodnight Azula," the waterbender bid farewell to her sister-in-law. She watched as Azula left the dining room, never looking at Ursa.
"That girl," Ursa shook her head. She was disappointed in how secretive Azula was acting this evening. "She always has her own agenda, ever since she was a child."
"I think she is just tired, mother," Zuko defended his baby sister. Had his mother always criticized Azula in this way?
"Honestly, Zuko," his mother responded with a disapproving look. "You know that Azula only ever does what is right for Azula. She was upset that Piandao was living his life in Shu Jing!"
"On the contrary, she barely had an opinion on Piandao," the Fire Lord stated. He pushed his plate away from him. His appetite was soured by his mother's criticism of his sister.
"Azula has been working a lot of hours," Katara added as she finished her meal.
"Really? I hardly see her at the social gatherings with the other ladies of court," Ursa said disapprovingly. In her mind, a woman's place was in the social aspect of the royal court. Seeing Katara take more of an active role in the politics of running the country was not something the older woman agreed with. To Ursa, the Fire Lady and her courtiers should be focused on the appearance of the common people, the arts, and the children. Not on rebuilding a tourist island or the hospitals.
"And I'm hardly seen at the social gatherings," the Fire Lady replied with a hard look at her mother-in-law. "Azula is working on projects I have specifically asked her to handle. And most do not require her to aid in petty frivolous gossip of the Fire Nation noblewomen elders."
"Mother, I think it might be time for you to accept that the Fire Nation has changed since you were away," Zuko stated delicately. He did not want to start a fight with his mother but he also did not want her to be criticizing his sister or his wife. "The culture is shifting to show that women should take an active role in politics and I think it's for the better."
Jeong Jeong's brow furrowed as he watched his pupil twitch in her stance for the fifth time in the last half hour. She normally held the pose with ease, her concentration never wavering from her breath. "Azula, concentrate."
The Fire Nation Princess pulled her shoulders back and widened her stance. She welcomed the burn in her muscles, a perfect distraction to her racing mind. Her concentration moved back to her breath and the heat of the sun. She was successful for a little bit before her mind wandered to the sword master and the engagement ring she saw him purchase yesterday afternoon.
It didn't help that only a few hours after Azula had seen Piandao purchasing the ring, she had stumbled across an article in her favorite gossip scroll detailing the outings he had been spotted on in Shu Jing. A gossip scroll her mother insisted on conversing about at dinner the night before. Azula had been devastated to learn that her sword master had returned to his home to court the noblewomen of the area.
The firebending master watched her shoulders droop forward and her expression fall. Something was pulling her attention away, something big. She had been able to spend hours with him training only on her breath for over a month now, but for some reason today she could not focus.
He waited to see if she would pull her attention back to her breath. There was a glimmer of hope when he saw her try to right herself but he frowned when distraction settled into her form once again.
"Stop."
"Yes, Master Jeong Jeong," Azula slipped out of her stance and awaited further instructions.
"Perhaps it is time we shift our focus," the firebending master stated after a few moments. He had his suspicions about why she was distracted. Piandao had returned late last night to the palace. The former admiral needed to bring the Princess back to focus, perhaps now was a good time to advance her training.
She watched as he moved towards a tree on the edge of the arena and caught a leaf falling in the wind.
The old master placed the leaf in her hands, the center burning.
"A leaf?"
He did not bother acknowledging her question, instead, he took a seat on the ground in front of her and instructed her next task. "Move into your stance. Concentrate on the fire, it should never reach the edges of the leaf."
His instructions to her had a higher standard than typical, but he did not doubt for a moment that Azula could not handle the higher standard. Jeong Jeong hoped that with the standard he had set, she would have to ignore her thoughts of the sword master and focus on the fire in front of her.
The Fire Nation Princess stood in her stance, the leaf in her hands and eyes on the center burning. Within seconds, her breath began moving in time with the flame.
Jeong Jeong watched as she kept the center burning perfectly, but while the execution was there the mastery was lacking. "Do not bend the will of the flame, feel it. Become one with it. Even if it burns, connect with your inner fire."
Azula's brow drew together as she tried to focus on becoming one with the fire. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and pictured a flame in her mind. She concentrated at the base of the image, timing her breath with the pulse of the fire. Azula could feel the fire from the burning leaf but was less concerned with controlling it than she was with feeling it.
"Now, clear your mind," he coached her. He watched with a critical eye as her shoulders relaxed and her breathing deepened. "Feel the heat and life of your inner fire."
The Princess focused only on her breath. She could feel the rise and fall of heat timing with the pulse of fire she had pictured. Her mind became void of anything but her breath and the burning in her soul.
Once she cleared her mind, Azula could truly feel the fire within her.
The firebending master knew the instant she had connected with her inner fire. Her eyes snapped open followed by a life-saving gasp as the leaf burned to a crisp with a flash of blue in her hands.
"Very good," Jeong Jeong praised her with a nod. He had not expected the color to come as quickly as it did. But she had connected with not only her inner fire but became one with the flame in her hand in a record amount of time. Now he had to teach her to control it.
"It was blue," Azula whispered in awe. Her gold eyes looked down at the ash that was once a leaf.
"We will train again tomorrow, and I expect you to keep the leaf from burning next time," the former admiral dismissed her.
She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. The first thing she wanted to do was run and tell Piandao. He had been her biggest supporter since she had returned to the Fire Nation and she wanted to share the good news with him. She longed for the praise she would see in his grey eyes when she told him.
The Fire Nation Princess was about to seek out the sword master but stopped short. Her heart sank when she remembered the engagement ring he had purchased.
She didn't need Piandao, she thought to herself. She had been training with Jeong Jeong for over a month and she had connected with her fire on her own. The last thing she needed was a man to distract her.
Azula pulled back her shoulders as she walked out of the arena. The sword master had clearly found someone else, it was time she ended their lessons and focused on her firebending. Azula would recapture her blue flame and lightning because that was more important than a man.
"The Fire Lord will see you now," Akio stated as he opened the door to the office.
Piandao nodded to the secretary as he entered the Fire Lord's office. Once he had approached the sovereign, he bowed, "Fire Lord Zuko, thank you for seeing me."
"Good afternoon, Master Piandao," Zuko greeted the older man. The firebender had noticed the formal greeting. He gestured to the chair across from his desk. "Please sit. I must say I asked Akio this morning why I had called this meeting but then he informed me you asked for the audience."
"That is right. I had wanted to discuss with you something delicate in nature," the sword master responded. As he looked at the young man in front of him, he could not help thinking about how much had changed since his first audience with the Fire Lord. Piandao never expected in that first meeting that his agreement to train Azula would alter his life so drastically.
"I'm assuming this is about my sister," the young monarch said after a few minutes of silence.
"Princess Azula and I have spent much time together over the last two years," Piandao began delicately. He shifted in his seat. "In that time, I have seen how extraordinary she is and have become quite close with her."
"I've noticed, Katara and I have spoken extensively about how much your friendship and tutorage have benefitted Azula," Zuko commented hoping to encourage the sword master. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed.
"On my end, I have grown to have much affection for your sister. And I believe she holds affection for me as well," Piandao's mind wandered to how she kissed him back at the North Pole. He took a deep breath before finally asking the question. "I want to ask for your permission and blessing to marry Azula."
The Fire Lord's eyes widened. He had expected the sword master to ask permission to court the Princess, not jump straight to a marriage proposal. "What about a courtship?"
"While a courtship has crossed my mind, I know that since Genkei there has been much scrutiny on Azula's ability to please a man," the sword master explained looking down at his hands briefly. "I do not want to leave her susceptible to any more criticism and I do not need a courtship to know what I want or how I feel about your sister."
"A betrothal without a courtship will cause the royal gossip to speculate," Zuko stated. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the request.
The sword master nodded, "I did consider that. Because of the lack of courtship, I would like at least a six-month engagement to ensure the protection of her reputation, preferably a year."
Zuko looked at the older man. The conviction that Piandao was speaking did not surprise the monarch. There was no doubt in the sovereign's mind on how he should respond to the request made by the sword master.
Piandao's eyes drank in her form as he saw her moving through her exercises. He smiled to himself as he noticed her wielding the wazikashi he had made for her.
"Azula, there you are. I was looking for you," the sword master greeted as he walked up to her in the training arena. He was excited to see her for the first time in weeks. His hand slipped into his pocket and his fingertips rubbed against the cold metal. He had spent the last few hours in negotiations with the Fire Lord of a betrothal and marriage contract.
"Master Piandao," the Princess replied, the formality and her cold tone taking him off guard. His heart dropped as she continued, "I was going to request a meeting with you for tomorrow."
"Oh?" He watched as she sheathed her sword.
"We've been training together for quite some time now and I am grateful for your education but I think now that my bending has returned I need to focus on that," her voice was void of any emotion. "Thank you for your instruction and I wish you all the best on your upcoming marriage."
"Excuse me?" His eyes widened at her words. The sword master was not one to be taken by surprise.
"I saw you yesterday purchasing an engagement ring. She must be extraordinary for you to finally settle down," Azula explained icily. She bowed formally before turning to leave throwing over her shoulder, the bitterness laced throughout her words; "Thank you for teaching me."
"Azula, wait!" He reached for her, grabbing her wrist to stop her. Piandao shook his head at her confusion. He pulled her toward him. "Yes, you did see me purchasing an engagement ring."
"Please don't," she whispered her eyes shut tightly as she tried to hold back tears. She couldn't bear to hear him tell her who he had been courting recently. Piandao stepped closer, putting one hand against her lower back and pressing her close to him. Her hands rested on his chest, she was unsure if she wanted to push him away or draw him closer.
"Azula, little one, look at me please," he whispered while one of his hands cupped her cheek and brushed back the tears that had fallen. Her gold eyes fluttered open and he leaned down placing his forehead against hers. "Azula, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"What?" The Princess sucked in a breath. Her gold eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise, her reaction made the sword master want to lean down a tad further and kiss her.
"From the first day I met you, you fascinated me. I admired your willingness to learn and your dedication. Watching you protect your family made me fall deeper in love with you. I don't just love you because of how extraordinary you are, I love you because of everything you've been through. I love all the messy bits about you because they make you who you are. You fought to be where you are today and that is why I love you," Piandao explained, his grey eyes bored into hers. "And now, here I am, asking you to marry me."
"But you never said anything!" She argued as she looked up at him. Azula swore he could feel her heart beating against her chest.
"I'm saying something now," he replied as he waited for her response. Piandao had a terrible thought that he had read the signs wrong. That she didn't feel the same way about him. The ring felt heavy in his pocket, so he put a little distance between them. "Do you feel any affection for me? Or did I misinterpret the situation?"
The Fire Nation Princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she built up the courage to respond. She opened her eyes at the last minute wanting to see his reaction, "I started falling for you on that first day of training."
The sword master wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. He leaned down until his mouth was almost touching hers. He repeated the question, "Azula, will you marry me?"
Her gold eyes closed and her lips brushed against his lips as she answered, "Yes."
The moment the word ended, Piandao's lips met hers in a bruising kiss, she tasted exactly as he remembered.
His mouth dominated hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close. The fire and passion she battled with translated into how she showed affection, something the sword master was looking forward to exploring on their wedding night. However he couldn't help but notice how she relaxed into him, allowing him to take the lead.
Piandao pulled away to allow her space to breathe. As Azula looked up at him with gold eyes sparkling with love, he couldn't help himself. The sword master lifted her into his arms, spinning her around as he did, an unusual display of affection for the serious man. Azula's squeals of excitement echoed throughout the training arena. She wrapped her arms and legs around Piandao as he spun her.
Ursa adjusted the place setting in front of her, she was disappointed in the news her son had just shared with her. "You think granting him a betrothal contract was wise?"
The Fire Lord bristled at the criticism but refused to rise to the bait. Since his mother's return, any time either of her children stepped outside of what she deemed appropriate Ursa was quick to condemn them. Instead, Zuko flipped the script, "Do you have reasons why I should not have?"
"The age difference for one," Ursa replied immediately with a shake of her head. "Not to mention, Azula is a very spirited person. Is this match even going to be a successful one? We all saw how she reacted when Genkei wanted to take a mistress. I doubt that she will have a different reaction when Piandao does the same."
Katara bit her tongue to hold back the retort she wanted to give her mother-in-law. This was good news, but Ursa could only focus on the negative.
"Funny, how I have never felt the need to take a mistress and I'm the Fire Lord," Zuko gestured to the servants to begin serving dinner. He was glad that Piandao and Azula had gone into the city to have a celebratory dinner together.
"Anyone choosing Azula has much to gain in terms of political affiliation," his mother responded. "Do you really think they will have any romantic interest in her?"
"Piandao seems to," the waterbender stated with just a hint of frustration. "In fact, she is the only woman in whom he has displayed any romantic interest for years. And if Iroh is to be believed, this is the only time Piandao has had any inclination for marriage."
"Are we so sure about that? Piandao was seeking out other romantic interests in Shu Jing last month." The older noblewoman did not think her daughter was right for the sword master. Azula was much too fiery for his calm personality.
"I asked him about that," Zuko stated as he looked at his mother. "He informed me that he thought the best course of action was to step away from Azula, but as he listened to frivolous women, he realized his affection was not because he wanted a wife but because of Azula herself."
"Hmm, perhaps you are right. He did seem less than thrilled with the introductions I made," Ursa pursed her lips. She wondered if Azula had fallen into bed with the sword master and now an engagement was needed. "But a betrothal, without a courtship."
Katara resisted the urge to snort, less than thrilled was an understatement. The sword master had made it clear that he was not interested in any of the introductions that Ursa had made.
"He requested a long engagement," the Fire Lord redirected his mother knowing the next bit of criticism on the tip of her tongue. "At least a year, to avoid speculation of a pregnancy."
"Piandao has such a way of understanding the complexity of royal court for someone who avoided it previously," Katara took over the conversation. "The fondness and affection they have for each other will lead to such a strong marriage. And perhaps Lu Ten will have some cousins to grow up with within the next few years."
The Fire Lady's words essentially silenced any more criticism from her mother-in-law. For the rest of dinner, the conversation revolved more around the work that Katara was doing in Caldera.
Across the city, Azula and Piandao were walking hand in hand by the harbor after their celebratory dinner together.
The Fire Nation Princess noticed how her ring caught in the moonlight causing her to bring it up to admire.
"Do you like it?" The sword master asked as he saw her looking at it. It was large enough to demonstrate worth but not so large to be ostentatious and for a brief moment, Piandao worried that he had made the wrong choice.
"I love it," she replied instantly. The ring was stunning, Azula thought. A large pear-shaped ruby with three small diamond clusters on each side of the ruby. The band was a gold setting with intricate flames etched into the gold.
"I'm glad," he smiled at her as they kept walking.
Azula dropped her hand instantly and leaned into his side looking up at him. "Today has been a perfect day."
"Why's that?" Piandao asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, he was pleased when Azula snuggled into his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Well, it ended with celebrating our betrothal, you proposing in the middle," the Princess began. She paused and pretended to think. Finally sharing, the news that she had wanted to from this morning. "And it started with me making a blue flame in my training with Jeong Jeong."
"You made a blue flame?" He stopped walking, the pride in his voice was palpable.
She beamed up at him and nodded, his grey eyes showcasing his pleasure the way she had pictured earlier in the day. Her joy was contagious and he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her. Azula deepened the kiss her arms moving to wrap around his neck as his hands moved to settle on her hips. She pressed herself against him as her tongue slipped into his mouth, not caring for the public display.
Piandao knew she was going to tempt his control over the next year of their engagement.
Yanghao leaned back against the wall, his eyes closed. The Air Nomad elders were not pleased when they found out that the newly appointed Prime Minister had refused reparations from the Fire Lord.
"It's hard isn't it?" The avatar commented as he looked at the older airbender.
The Prime Minister opened his eyes. "Yeah, it seems like I can never do anything right for them. Why did you appoint me?"
Aang moved to sit in front of the older man. "Because you are looking to the future, while the rest are still looking to place blame."
"I'm making so many mistakes," Yanghao sighed heavily.
"What mistakes have you made?" Aang asked softly. He knew the feeling that the Prime Minister was speaking of. Being a leader was not always easy, something Aang had learned in the last few years as he embraced his role as the avatar.
"For starters, I didn't accept Fire Lord Zuko's offer of reparations," the Prime Minister rubbed his hand on his face. "I decided to search out for anyone with airbender lineage, which according to the elders is a mistake because of bloodlines mixing."
"Doesn't sound like anything terrible so far," the Avatar encouraged
Yanghao looked out the window of the temple meeting room. He watched as a young airbender class moved through some breathing exercises. "I am apprehensive of encouraging more births until we are in a more stable position as a nation, I broached the subject of contraception tea."
"What was the reasoning for that?" Aang could understand why the elders were not happy with that decision. There were so few Air Nomads left that actively preventing births seemed disrespectful to the nation trying to rebuild.
"Something that Arnook said during the Anniversary Summit about resources from the Fire Nation being finite," the Prime Minister said with a shrug. "I think stabilizing our own economy and focusing on domestic trade is essential. We can't rely on the resources that we have been receiving or on reparations."
"It's more than that," the avatar encouraged him to keep speaking.
Yanghao shrugged noncommittally. He spoke more to fill the silence than anything else, "And Lao Beifong made a few comments about the possible potential of Fire Lord Zuko being dethroned. The Fire Lord's enemies are vast and peace was hard to come by."
The Avatar did not have a response to that, he knew better than anyone the amount of assassination attempts that had already taken place on the Fire Lord. The Air Nomads having their own thriving economy would do well to secure the future.
The Fire Lord lifted the little Prince out of his crib the moment he began fussing, he quickly changed his son's diaper before cuddling him. Zuko held his son in the crook of one arm, his son's head resting against his chest. The firebender had peaked into the nursery after his morning training and found his son wide awake. He suspected the sunrise woke him like it had every morning since he was born.
It was a rare opportunity for Zuko to have time with his son alone so, he leapt at the chance. "Good morning, Prince Lu Ten."
Lu Ten snuggled into the warmth of his father, a thumb moving into his mouth.
"Are you hungry? Should we go wake your momma? Or should we let her sleep?" Zuko placed a kiss on the top of his son's head. He never expected to be a good father, but the way his son clung to him told a different story. "I know what we should do. We should take Hikari and go play by the pond."
With his mind made up, the Fire Lord took his son and the polar bear dog down to the turtle duck pond in the family's private garden. Asking a servant to spread a blanket out by the cherry blossom tree as he walked through the corridors of the palace.
Zuko sat against the tree, with Lu Ten cuddled up on his chest, and Hikari curled up on the grass next to them. The morning sun cast glimmering rays against the pond.
"I spent a lot of time at this pond when I was a boy. I used to come here with my mother and we would feed the turtle ducks," the firebender told his son. "When you are a little older, you will feed the turtle ducks. But you have to be careful, the momma turtle duck is very protective and will bite you if you hurt her babies."
He punctuated his words with a bit of a tickle to his son's tummy. Lu Ten giggled at the motion and turned into his father more, hiding his face in Zuko's chest.
"One day, this will be your private garden," the Fire Lord explained to his son. His heart swelled as his son moved into him more. "You will be Fire Lord, just like me."
Lu Ten turned his head and babbled back to his father.
"Unless you don't want to be Fire Lord and want to go live in the South Pole with your cousin," Zuko offered to his son. Lu Ten stuck his tongue out at his father, who chuckled, "Uh oh, don't tell your mother that you don't want to live in the South Pole."
The Fire Lord continued speaking to his son resting on his chest. Zuko's deep voice and the rumble of his chest soon lulled Lu Ten to sleep. Father followed his son's lead and fell asleep with his head resting against the cherry blossom tree, the morning light slowly settling over them.
Katara woke with her bed and the nursery empty. Since Zuko was nowhere in sight she didn't worry too much about Lu Ten, but the ache in her breasts had her searching for them.
When she stumbled upon them in the garden, her heart melted at the sight. The waterbender leaned over and placed a kiss on her husband's forehead before plucking the baby out of his arms.
Lu Ten stirred as he was moved and scented his mother, his head instantly turning to her breasts searching for nourishment.
"Hmm," Zuko stretched as his wife settled next to him. His eyes blinked at the invasion of light, "Good morning, Katara."
She smiled at the sleepiness in his voice. "Good morning, Zuko. You should have woken me."
"No need, he just wanted snuggles with his daddy," the Fire Lord explained. He watched as his wife adjusted her top to feed their son. "And you needed the sleep."
"I did appreciate the sleep," she agreed with a small smile. Katara checked the latch that Lu Ten had on her breast, satisfied he was receiving sufficient milk.
"We need more mornings like this," he said after a few minutes. The two rarely got a quiet morning with their son, but since this was the anniversary of their Water Tribe wedding they had taken the morning off.
"Well, when we go to Ember Island in the new year we can have as many quiet mornings as you want," the waterbender smiled at her husband. Her attention was pulled back to her son as he painfully pulled against her nipple. She looked down and adjusted her son's latch before looking back at her husband. The firebender's eyes were locked on where his son was feeding. A longing in his eyes. "Zuko?"
"Hmm?" He looked up at her.
"Are you alright?" She asked him softly.
"Of course, I am alright," the Fire Lord leaned over and kissed her. "I am just enjoying the moment, he is growing up so fast."
"He is," the Fire Lady looked down at their son with a content smile.
"We've been married for two years now and Lu Ten is just over six months," Zuko began trying to be casual. He picked at a blade of grass, "Any thought to giving him a sibling?"
Chinatsu made some notes as she listened to the Fire Lady's courtiers as they organized the different proposals that had been submitted by the council. Their day started earlier than the Fire Lady's to help streamline what needed the monarch's attention and what could be taken care of by the courtiers.
"These are the press releases that need to be reviewed," the Fire Lady's secretary passed a stack of scrolls to Mai. "And the information for the budget for the Fire Days Festival."
"Are there the quarterly reports?" Ty Lee asked as she placed a few proposals into the reject pile.
"Here is the report for the orphanages," Chinatsu passed two scrolls to the acrobat. She riled through some papers on her desk before stopping on one, "And then here is the report for the medical reeducation program."
"That should be put at the top of the pile," Mai commented to Ty Lee as she reviewed the press releases. She handed one of the scrolls back to Chinatsu. "This seems to be a good exposé on the remodeling of Ember Island. I would have Azula, take a look at it, and once she gives the all clear have it resubmitted to Katara."
"Good morning," Katara greeted her secretary and courtiers as she walked into her office with Lu Ten, and Hikari trailing behind them. The Fire Lady placed her son in the crib on his stomach as the polar bear dog curled up at the base.
"There are a few things that need your immediate signature," Ty Lee said standing from her seat and placing some documents on Katara's desk.
"What am I looking at?" The Fire Lady asked as she sat down.
The acrobat pointed to the papers at the top, "This is the revised budget for the Fire Days Festival. Once you sign it the committee can begin preparations."
The waterbender's blue eyes scanned over the information in front of her, noting the changes that had been made. Once she had finished her appraisal, she placed her signature on the revised budget. Katara picked up the following document, "And this?"
"That is the release of the next class of the medical reeducation program," Ty Lee explained. She pointed to a few lines on the page, "This is to send the upcoming graduating class to Jang Hui."
Katara nodded and quickly signed the document in front of her before reviewing the report on the program. "Did the report come in for the orphanages?"
Mai stood from her spot and placed the report on the desk that Ty Lee was looking at earlier. "After you take a look at that, there are a few press releases that you need to review."
The Fire Lady shook her head as she noticed the press release addressing the poisoning from a few months prior. "These gossip scrolls, how are they getting this information?"
"Either a servant or a guard," Chinatsu replied with a shake of her head. "Though one of the reporters from the Caldera Secrets would like an audience with you."
"Caldera Secrets, that is the worst gossip scroll," the waterbender shook her head. She did not need some sleazy gossip scroll reporter trying to twist her words.
"It is the most purchased," Mai said thoughtfully. She had her own opinions about the gossip scrolls but she understood the demand for them. "It might not be a bad idea to invite them to stay in the palace."
"To parade around and judge not only my family but the work that I do? Spread rumors into all of the Fire Nation," Katara was dead set against conversing with a gossip scroll reporter.
"Public support is just as important if not more important than the support of the royal court," the acrobat retorted, understanding the thought process of her lover. "And with Azula's betrothal, the assassination attempts, the Northern Water Tribe's agenda . . ." She trailed off.
"And having a gossip scroll reporter would add fuel to the fire," the waterbender shook her head.
Mai sighed "Having a reporter of the top-selling gossip scroll not only in the Fire Nation but the world, you would be able to spin the narrative. Perhaps even place a few discreet suggestions to help draw out the rebels."
The waterbender went to respond but she paused, her courier's words sinking in. She looked over at her son who was lifting his head and watched as he rolled over onto his back. "Chinatsu, invite the reporter from Caldera Secrets to stay at the palace indefinitely."
"Focus Azula," Piandao teased as his hands skimmed her waist as he adjusted her position during their morning training.
It had been a couple of weeks since he had proposed and the two were spending more time together. There had been many instances where the couple had ended up in one of their bedchambers engaging in some illicit activities. However, the sword master had always stopped them from getting too out of hand as he wanted to preserve her reputation.
"I would be able to focus better if someone wasn't all handsy," the Princess retorted as she leaned back against his chest.
He leaned down, his lips against her ear. "If you concentrate now, I promise we can spend the hour after training in a much more pleasurable position."
Azula's body broke out into goosebumps. "How pleasurable?"
"Depends on how much you focus now," Piandao tempted her. The sword master placed a kiss right below her ear and took a step back. "Now, try it again."
The Princess took a cleansing breath and moved through the exercise again. She channeled all of her focus on the task at hand. Her blade connected with Piandao's when he moved into the arena with her. There was silent pride in his eyes as he watched her take on the advanced techniques, matching each of his moves with the appropriate counter. Never letting him get the upper hand.
Soon she had him disarmed and on the ground with her blade at his throat. A girlish smile crossed her face, "Guess this means I win!"
Piandao chuckled from his spot opposite her. "Yes, it does."
She sheathed her wazikashi and offered a hand to help him off the ground. Once he was standing, Piandao wrapped his arms around her leaning down to place a congratulatory kiss on her lips.
A throat clearing pulled the couple away from each other.
"Mother," Azula greeted the woman with a nod.
Ursa frowned at the tone but did not acknowledge it. "You seem to be progressing quite well in your swordsmanship."
"Thanks to Piandao."
"You are too kind, Azula," the sword master corrected her. "While I might have offered instruction and guidance, you are the one who worked diligently to acquire the skill beautifully."
"Thank you," the Princess replied with a small smile at the compliment.
"I came to see if you would both join me for tea this afternoon," the older woman steered the conversation. "Now that your engagement has been announced, it is time to begin planning your wedding. And there are many ceremonies that need to be planned. As well as an engagement party and your wedding tour."
The Fire Nation Princess bit her tongue, she wanted to tell her mother that all of that sounded quite dull and frivolous. She would much rather elope with Piandao tonight and avoid all the planning. Thankfully, the sword master stepped in.
"Thank you, Lady Ursa," he nodded at her respectfully. "We would be happy to have tea with you this afternoon. I am sure that under your guidance, we will have everything planned quickly and easily."
After arranging a time, Ursa left the couple to finish up their training.
"Do you think she would be terribly upset if we eloped?" Azula asked her fiancé as they stretched on the grass. She moved her arms behind her back and locked her hands together to stretch her shoulders. The motion caused her breasts to push against her training top and Piandao couldn't help but admire her form.
The sword master chuckled and propped himself on his side to watch her finish stretching. "It won't be that bad."
"You have clearly never planned a party with my mother," she mumbled begrudgingly.
"If you really do not want to plan anything, we could always give her complete control," Piandao suggested with a shrug, his eyes drinking into her body as she twisted. "Then all you will have to do is show up."
"You know my eyes are up here," Azula teased as she finished her stretches.
"I know," Piandao smirked cheekily at her. He reached out to her and rolled her on top of him. Instinctually, Azula moved her legs so she could straddle him. The sword master's eyes raked over her, he quite liked having her on top of him. "If I remember correctly, I think I promised you a pleasurable reward."
The Fire Lord resisted the urge to smirk at his wife's shifting. They were currently in a council meeting, listening to a boring report on grain production from the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture.
"Thank you, Councilman Kang," Zuko interrupted when the man paused for a breath. "I look forward to reading your report later this week."
Ukano stood from the table and began to close out the meeting, noticing how many of the other council members' eyes had glazed over during the report. After the council members bar Ukano exited the meeting, the royal advisor addressed the monarchs. "I have included Piandao's induction into the Royal Council for our next meeting along with the betrothal announcement. Next week the trial of the Chan family will begin regarding labor crimes."
"Very good Ukano," the Fire Nation sovereign said. "Be sure to add the budget review for the new year to the next meeting."
"Yes Fire Lord Zuko," the nobleman wrote a few notes before taking his leave.
Once the couple was finally only with the royal guard, Katara sagged from her place next to her husband. "I swear these meetings get longer and longer."
"How's your back?" The Fire Lord asked his wife as she stretched.
"Not as terrible as my breasts," the waterbender moaned in pain. The meeting had gone over by several hours and she had missed two feedings for Lu Ten, her breasts felt heavy and painful.
"We can bring Lu Ten to council meetings," Zuko suggested as he helped his wife off the floor. "That way you do not have to skip feedings."
The Fire Lady sighed, this was a conversation they had many many times. "You know how I feel about that. I want him to have as normal of a childhood as possible."
"But the thing is, he is not a normal child," he argued with his wife as they walked down the steps. "And trying to force a normal childhood on him will not help him. If anything, we should be preparing him to be the Fire Lord from day one."
"He's still a baby, Zuko," the waterbender grumbled as they walked to the nursery. "And you want him to be a part of the council meetings?"
"All I'm saying is the sooner he is in council meetings the more comfortable he will be when the time comes," the firebender countered. All he could think about was how his father refused him entrance to council meetings. If Ozai had just allowed Zuko the opportunity from the start, he might not have spoken out of turn.
Katara looked at her husband whose eyes were far away. "Why is it so important for you to have Lu Ten in council meetings?"
He was quiet as they entered the nursery and watched as his wife took their son from the governess. Finally, Zuko replied, "My father did not want me in meetings with him ever, and because of that, I always doubted my ability. Even now, I wonder if I am making the right decisions. I don't want that for Lu Ten."
The waterbender sat in the rocking chair and adjusted her formal robes to allow her son to feed. She let out a relieved sigh as the pressure released. "Lu Ten will know he is capable because we will make sure of that, but I do not think we need to bring him in as a baby."
"When he reaches school age, then," the Fire Lord countered. This was something he would not take no for an answer; he wanted his son to never doubt his ability as a leader. "I want him to spend time with us in council meetings and one day away in each of our offices."
"Once he's school-aged, I think it would be more than okay for him to attend council meetings," Katara agreed with a small smile. Now that she knew where her husband was coming from, the waterbender understood the want for their son to be near them.
"Thank you." Zuko watched as his wife switched breasts, his son eagerly rooting for nourishment. "He is over six months old and I still cannot believe we made him."
The waterbender smiled at her husband and looked down at their son. Becoming a mother had been more rewarding than she had anticipated. "He rises with the sun every day, do you think he might be a firebender?"
"He also burns the moonlight hours, how many times have you woken to find him staring at the full moon?" The firebender countered with a raised eyebrow. "He will present when he's ready and not a second sooner, you know that. And he might not even be a bender."
"I almost hope that he's not a bender," she whispered. Softly voicing her deepest thoughts to her husband. "Being a child of mixed-bending parents, I worry about him. And with the assassination attempts, I feel like I can never sleep because I'm terrified all the time."
"I know," Zuko said as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Whatever happens, we will get through it."
Akio cleared his throat as he stood in the nursery doorway. "Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara, I am sorry to interrupt you but, there is an urgent message from the Earth King. He sent a personal messenger."
"Azula, is that a love bite?" Ty Lee teased her friend as she sat down across from her.
The Fire Nation Princess adjusted her collar to hide the remnants of her time with Piandao the other day. She adjusted the papers on her desk, "A training bruise."
"It looks like you might have gotten into a fight with Piandao's mouth," Mai replied with a smirk from her place on the settee in Azula's office.
"You really do not need to be here, Mai," the Princess drawled with an annoyed look.
"Yes, but who would provide the appropriate commentary," the noblewoman smirked as she looked through the papers in front of her.
Azula cleared her throat, she needed to get this meeting back on track. "Did you have a chance to review the budget for the art school, Ty Lee?"
The acrobat shuffled through the papers in front of her. "I did. There are a few incidentals we did not account for. The only thing left to do is find a plot of land to build."
"What if we didn't build?" Azula asked as she made a few notes. "What if we purchased one of the old barracks and renovated it?"
"The barracks are on the edge of the city," Ty Lee tapped her chin. She was hoping to have the school closer to the arts district or even near Caldera University.
"We can tour a few of the buildings that are for sale in the city and see if any would be sufficient," Azula suggested. Now that Ty Lee had brought up the location of the barracks, it made the Princess pause. "Ideally, I would like for it to open next fall. So finding a building that could meet our needs with some renovations would expedite the process."
"I agree," the acrobat stated with a nod. "I have been discussing the application process with Lady Jiayi, and she agreed to be on the admissions committee. She also mentioned discretionary funds that would be available to offset living expenses for the students."
"Have you considered the option of asking the noble families to sponsor and host the students?" Mai asked them as she made a few notes on her own proposal.
Azula turned to look at her friend. "I had not thought of that Mai."
"That would solve a lot of potential problems," Ty Lee agreed as she thought over the idea. "The school would just need to be that and we would not need to worry about housing. And the introductions that would be made for the students would allow a base customer after they have finished their studies."
"It would also give the students the potential to travel if we make the suggestion to the noble families, offer some form of tax incentive," the Princess began brainstorming. She grabbed the brush next to her and began writing as many notes down as she could. "Is there anything else we need to discuss before we request funds from the crown?"
"There are a few things that Katara put forth wanting either clarity on or some changes to be made," the acrobat pulled out the Fire Lady's notes. "She had a question about the consignment opportunities."
"Princess Azula, Lady Ty Lee," Chinatsu greeted the women as she was allowed entrance into the Princess's office. "Your meeting with Fire Lady Katara has been rescheduled for next week. The Fire Lord and Fire Lady were pulled into an emergency meeting with a messenger from the Earth Kingdom."
"Thank you, Chinatsu," Azula stated with a furrowed brow. She stood suddenly after the secretary left the room and turned to her friends, "Come with me!"
The two noblewomen followed the Princess as she quickly walked through the palace, entering a formal sitting room that was rarely used. Ty Lee shot Mai a confused look as they walked into the room. Azula ignored their confusion as she made her way to the bookshelf on the far wall, with a quick look around she pulled out one book opening a secret passage in the shelving.
"Where are we going?" Ty Lee asked as they moved through the passageways. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the direction in which the Princess was moving.
"Quiet, if we can hear them, they can hear us," Azula whispered as she navigated the corridors. She hadn't been in these corridors in years, but she knew the passageways like the back of her hand. Finally, they turned a corner and the Princess held a finger to her lips.
"And King Keui is sure that these threats are coming from this criminal organization?" The Fire Lady's voice sounded through the walls.
"There has been sufficient evidence, but the reason King Keui is so concerned is there are some disturbing suspicions that Princess Azula has ties through the Dai Lee to this organization," a man's voice stated.
The noblewomen both turned to look at their friend, eyebrows raised.
But she was not paying attention to them. There was something familiar about the voice, Azula thought to herself, but she couldn't place it.
The Kyoshi Warrior snuggled her daughter close. She needed this, the loss was still too raw.
Staying in the South Pole while she grieved the loss of her unborn child had been debilitating. The constant stares of the tribe and the looks of pity brought the memory back every moment of the day. Sokka had barely left her side since it happened. Suki knew her husband was just trying to be supportive, but she couldn't stand his hovering.
She dared not look back, she knew if she did she would tell the captain to turn the ship around.
Instead, Suki looked to the horizon.
Thank you again for all of your support and for sticking with me even though my posting schedule has fallen short.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to hear your thoughts :)
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As of right now, I'm not going to say when Chapter 32 will come but know that for 2025 my hope is to post at least 5 chapters! So stick with me and know they are coming!