Chapter 42: Tears and Tea Leaves
"Why the fuck does nobody knock in this damn place!?" Zuko screamed in frustration. Zuko's grip on Katara tightened. He pulled her against him, his fingers digging into her waist like a vice. She barely flinched this time, her body rigid but compliant.
"Remember that feeling, Katara," he murmured, his breath hot against her lips. "This is how survival looks."
Before she could protest, he kissed her again, harder, hungrier, a performance stripped of pretense. His teeth grazed her lower lip, and she gasped, her hands reflexively clutching his shoulders. When he pulled back, his golden eyes burned into hers.
"This training will save your life," he said flatly. "Even if it feels like it's killing you now."
He released her and strode out, leaving her trembling in the silence.
Katara slammed the door shut, her back pressed against the wood as if it could shield her from the storm inside her chest. Her heart pounded so violently she feared it might crack her ribs. 'What am I doing?' Two weeks ago, she'd been in the Southern Water Tribe, teaching children to ice-fish and dreading the day Fire Nation sails would once again darken the horizon. Now she was here, kissing the Fire Prince, letting him touch her, learning to crave it.
She slid down the door, collapsing to the floor. Tears spilled freely now, hot and shameful, as she buried her face in her knees. Confusion. Horror. Guilt. They twisted inside her like serpents.
A knock jolted her upright.
She scrambled to her feet, swiping furiously at her cheeks. Her reflection in the polished wall panel, red-eyed, disheveled, stared back, a stranger in Fire Nation silk.
She opened the door the surprisingly only face she wanted to see at the time.
Iroh stood in the hallway, a tray balanced in his hands: a steaming jasmine teapot, two cups, and a plate of golden buns dusted with flour. His kind eyes crinkled as he took her in.
"Prince Zuko just left with his father," Katara blurted, avoiding his gaze.
"Ah, but I came to see you," Iroh said gently.
"Me?"
He stepped inside without waiting for invitation. "It is your first time far from home, yes? The different people, the culture, the enemies of the whole world looking just like normal people. The Fire Nation must feel… overwhelming."
Katara nodded mutely, leading him to the balcony. The midday sun bathed the table in warmth, but her hands felt like ice.
Iroh poured the tea, the fragrant steam curling between them. "Do not hide your tears, child," he said, his voice soft but firm. "They are not weakness. They are the heart's way of breathing."
Katara's resolve fractured. A sob escaped her, then another, silent tears streaking her face. Iroh reached across the table, his calloused hand covering hers.
"Let them fall," he urged. "Then we will drink tea, eat buns, and speak of things that matter."
She choked back a laugh, bitter and broken. "Like Zuko?"
Iroh's gaze sharpened, the warmth in his eyes hardening to steel. "Yes. Like my nephew."
The air shifted, charged with an intensity Katara had never felt from him before. It was as if the kindly old general had vanished, replaced by a dragon coiled beneath his skin.
"You see him as a monster," Iroh said, not a question.
Katara hesitated. "I see him as… complicated." She admitted.
Iroh sipped his tea, the steam obscuring his expression. "Fire Lord Azulon once told me that compassion is the rarest flame, and the most easily extinguished. Zuko has known little of it. But you…" He set down his cup. "You have ignited something in him. Something even he does not yet understand."
Katara's tears dried, replaced by a cold dread. "What are you saying?"
Iroh leaned forward, his voice a low rumble. "I am saying that the boy who is with you today is not the man who will kiss you tomorrow. And when that man emerges, you must decide: Will you douse his spark… or let it consume you?"
---
Zuko stormed through the palace corridors, his mind a tempest. The taste of Katara's lips still lingered, bitter and sweet, a contradiction that clawed at his resolve. 'Was it an act? Or something worse?' He clenched his fists, flames flickering at his fingertips.
He continued on his march towards his father. Annoyed at himself more than anything.
Rounding a corner, he nearly collided with Commander Zhao and Lieutenant Tau. Both men stiffened, their salutes crisp but hollow.
"Prince Zuko," Zhao said, his voice dripping with false deference. "A pleasure to see you… restored."
Zuko didn't break stride. He walked past them as if they were ghosts, his silence louder than any insult.
Behind him, Tau muttered, "This isn't good, Commander. We've made an enemy of the next Fire Lord."
Zhao's reply was a venomous hiss. "Damn it."
Zuko smirked. 'Let them fear.'
The palace gardens were unnervingly empty, save for Ozai, who stood beside a koi pond, its surface choked with crimson lotus flowers. The Fire Lord didn't turn as Zuko approached.
"I have come, Father."
"Good." Ozai's voice was silken. "We've had little chance to speak… privately."
Zuko halted at his side. "I've been anticipating your subtle probes about my actions."
Ozai finally looked at him, a flicker of amusement in his golden eyes. "You've changed. More and more I realize it."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Hostility, Zuko? After all I've done to mold you?"
"There is no hostility. I've simply become the son you always wanted." Zuko's gaze hardened. "Better than Azula."
Ozai's smile thinned. "Better? Her talent eclipses even Fire Lord Azulon's at her age. Some say she rivals your Uncle Iroh in his youth."
"Or Xu Ping An," Zuko countered.
Ozai's composure cracked, just for a heartbeat. "Xu Ping An was a madman. A relic."
"A madman who mastered lightning like breathing," Zuko pressed. "And a descendant of the infamous Fire Lord Turo, the last Avatar to wear the crown of our people. Turo, who dared to merge his duty as Avatar with his role as Fire Lord… until the clans turned on him."
Ozai's voice dropped to a warning growl. "Do not romanticize traitors."
"Turo wasn't a traitor. He was visionary," Zuko said, stepping closer. "He understood that tradition can be… reinterpreted… to serve the nation's strength."
Ozai's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"
Zuko held his gaze. "You'll entertain the idea eventually. Like I have."
For a moment, the air crackled with unsaid things—ancient, forbidden things. Ozai's jaw tightened, but he refused to rise to the bait. He knew exactly the point Zuko was raising by speaking about Turo and Xu Ping An. The idea was unique enough but also very reckless and risky. He was almost proud that his son had thought that much of it but as he did in his youth. He considered it. Though his predicament was different. The same couldn't not be said for Zuko. 'Like father like son,' he thought.
He quickly put the thought out of his mind. Such drastic actions were not required at this time.
"The Great Comet returns soon," Ozai said coldly, pivoting. "With the Avatar in chains, we will end this war. That is your only focus."
Zuko's smile was razor-thin. "I've seen things in my exile, Father. Forces even the Avatar cannot rival."
Ozai's nostrils flared, but he masked his curiosity and once again changed the subject. "You visited the Avatar today. Why?"
[A/N: Fire Lord Turo is an original character I created. As mentioned, he was also the Avatar. Xu Ping An is not an original character. For those of you who don't know he was the last real threat Avatar Kyoshi faced, in my opinion at least. The connection between Turo and Xu Ping An is an important one that I had to create to introduce some non canon elements(parts of the story not actual elements) into the story. I don't mind you forgetting about them for now as they won't be mentioned for a while. Apparently some people cannot think long term about the plot and ask me stupid obvious questions every damn chapter. You can think of Fire Lord/Avatar Turo as the Fire Nation Avatar before Avatar Szeto who is a Canon character for those not aware. Avatar Szeto is the Fire bender Avatar in the first episode of season 2 of the original series where Avatar Roku explained the Avatar State to Aang. The clip should be on YouTube. So stay with me, Avatar Roku was of the Fire Nation, before him was Avatar Szeto and then Fire Lord/Avatar Turo. Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]