A Hand to Hold (Zuko x Reader)

12. The Servant's Quarters

The young prince sat patiently on his bed, occasionally glancing up at the door in hopes of hearing a knock. But each time he was let down, not hearing what he'd been waiting for. Twenty minutes passed before he heard anything, Zuko sitting up excitedly as he waited for the person on the other side of the door to enter. But instead of seeing the one he had been waiting for, he was greeted by the sight of Xiaoli. The older woman entered the room with lowered eyes, immediately offering the seated Prince a bow.

"I apologize, Prince Zuko. Your usual attendant isn't feeling well today so I will stand in her place," she explained, refusing to look up at him. Hearing that you were unwell made him worry, wondering how you were doing.

"I'm fine at the moment, you're dismissed," he answered, not wanting her to hang around him all day. He'd been excited to hang out with you again, feeling disappointed that you weren't there to be with him again. He really wanted to check up on you, wanting to make sure that you were okay. Xiaoli bowed lowly before leaving the room, encouraging the young Prince to get up. He got out of bed and quickly dressed himself before leaving his room. He wasn't sure where to start his search, pausing when he saw someone walking down the hall. It was one of the servants, Nuo. What stood out to him the most was that she was holding a tray of food and heading away from his family's quarters, approaching the servant's section of the house. Assuming that the food was for you, he decided to follow and see if Nuo would lead him to where you were.

He hid as the older woman walked, making sure that she didn't see him as he followed. This continued until he had entered an area of the house he'd never been in, this part reserved for the servants. He was aware that this area existed, but it was only now that he was seeing it first hand, looking around as he descended some stairs not too far behind Nuo.

Turning, he found himself in a long hallway with many doors lining it. He guessed that these were the servant's rooms, watching as the older woman knocked on one of the doors before entering. Approaching the door, he pressed his ear against it but struggled to hear anything. It was the sound of footsteps within the room that made him panic, his eyes searching for a hiding place. Rushing towards a doorframe a short distance down the hall, he waited for Nuo to leave. She left the room, heading back towards the staircase.

Seeing that she wasn't coming his way, Zuko let out a sigh of relief. Making sure the coast was clear, he approached the door once more. He believed that this would be your room, slowly turning the door handle and cracking it open to peek inside before committing to it. But he quickly realised that it was indeed your room after spotting you inside, laying back on your bed with your eyes gazing towards the ceiling. Entering fully, he closed the door behind him. The sound caught your attention, eyes widening at the sight of the Prince.

"Zuko, you shouldn't be here," you told him, sitting up to show that you'd noticed him immediately. Hearing your words, he slowly approached and took a seat on your bed since the only other chair was holding the food Nuo had just brought you.

"Well, I heard that you were sick and got worried," he expressed, meeting your gaze with hopeful eyes. It was obvious that he only had good intentions, looking a little down after seeing that you didn't look pleased with you coming here. But the idea of him wanting to check on you and make sure you were okay filled your chest with a warm feeling, a smile tugging at your lips.

"Sorry that I can't hang out with you today," you apologized, assuming he'd felt a bit disappointed that you couldn't be there with him today.

"That's fine, today I'll just have to look after you instead," he chirped, sounding pleased with his idea. This caught you off guard, your words getting caught in your throat as you tried to decipher what he'd just suggested. He was the Prince, so you were the one who was supposed to be attending to him, not the other way around.