Flames Of Fate (Zuko X Reader)

Chapter Three: Not Entirely Human

Zuko asked around that night about where the girl was being held. He didn't know her name but her grandfather had called her a Child of the Forest so he went with that. Finally, after a lot of pestering and using his status in the royal family as leverage he found out where they were keeping her. He thought she'd be in the dungeon where they kept the criminals but no, she was being kept in a room on the south wing of the palace.

He walked down the hallway to her room, which was right at the end. Guards littered the hallway. They saw him but did not question his presence; he was the prince after all. Every few steps he'd come across guards, was it really necessary?

Then again didn't his grandfather call her a Child of the Forest? He hadn't a clue what that was but it sounded ominous to him.

In front of her door stood four guards, the same one's that dragged her cage into the Throne Room. He straightened to his height, which was around their elbows. They were tall and menacing, not to mention fully armored and carried large swords on their backs.

"Prince Zuko."

They all bowed their heads.

Zuko cleared his throat and hardened his gaze as much as possible. He was eleven years old so attempting to look intimidating wasn't working for him.

"Open the door."

The guards glanced at one another and one of them stepped forward.

"Do you have permission from General Enzo?"

"Do I need permission?" He asked in the most belittling voice he could muster. He stifled a small laugh at how insufferable he managed to make himself sound.

"Yes, your highness."

"My grandfather is the Fire Lord Azulon so I'll ask you one more time; Do I need permission?"

The guard that stepped forward staggered back and shook his head at the very mention of the Fire Lord.

"O-Of course not, Prince Zuko." He stammered and stepped aside. "You may enter."

They stepped aside and reached for the double doors.

"I will accompany you." The leader of the four said, gripping the hilt of his sword in its holster.

"No," Zuko squeaked. When the guards glanced at each other in confusion he knew he messed up his 'tough-prince-and-heir-of-the-Fire-Nation' façade.

He quickly cleared his throat and regained a cool composure.

"I mean that won't be necessary." He chuckled sheepishly.

"Forgive my interjection, Prince Zuko, but she is very dangerous and hostile."

Zuko thought of the cage, chains, the fifteen guards excluding these four and General Enzo's glaring eyes at her. And you wonder why she was hostile? He thought sarcastically but didn't voice it.

"I can handle her." He said, staring the leader of the four down, or up, since he was staring up.

After a few minutes of silence and a weird staring competition between the two, the guard stepped back and dropped his hand from the hilt of his sword.

"Very well, your Highness. We will stand guard outside."

Zuko nodded and the two other guards opened the door. He stepped in and quickly closed the door by leaning his back against it, releasing a huge sigh of relief.

"Whoa that was insane." He muttered chuckling a bit, closing his eyes. He was slightly out of breath for some reason.

"I'm not hungry I said." A feminine voice snapped.

Zuko quickly straightened to his height and finally surveyed the room he had just intercepted. It was no smaller than his room or bigger, if anything it was equivalent to him and his sister's private chambers. There was a huge bed to the far right with red and black clothing's. There were fire nation banners on either sides of the room and a dressing space to the right. The far left of the room, adjacent to the large bed was a huge hearth where the fire was flickering and that was also where she sat.

She was incredibly close to the crackling flames, as if she wanted to curl up in a ball inside the hearth. She was dressed in a long white and red dress. The sleeves were long to her wrist but narrowed down to her palm. Her (H/C) hair was tied up neatly into a high bun, strands free of her face. Zuko had only seen her once and although she did look stunning, the look didn't suit her. They had dressed her up.

"I'm not a-" His voice came out in a squeak and he quickly cleared his throat, blush creeping up his neck. He wanted to slap himself for being so quick to embarrass himself. So much for first impressions.

"I mean I'm not a servant. I'm the prince." He straightened to his full height, puffing his chest slightly.

His efforts of a good impression went in vain because she wasn't even looking at him; her gaze was fixated on the flickering flames. She had to be the same age as him.

"Servant...Prince...General...Fire Lord..." She trailed in a monotone, pulling her knees to her chest. "Your need for status and title are meaningless."

Zuko blinked, caught off guard. She spoke with the same level of wisdom as his uncle Iroh.

The girl leaned forward towards the flames and Zuko quickly stepped forward. "If you get too close to the fire you might hurt yourself."

She reached a hand out and before Zuko could object she stopped herself halfway. A smile curled at her lips; a small sour bitter smile.

"Right."

"Could I sit with you?" He asked.

That was the first time she turned to look at him. Her gaze was hard and cold but when her eyes met with his, her gaze softened for some reason.

She nodded. He was the first one here to ask her what she wanted, and kindly.

He walked over and sat next to her.

The flames were warm. Maybe that was why he was suddenly sweaty and...nervous?

"I'm Zuko." He blurted.

The girl glanced at him. She didn't feel hostile with him; she could sense his energy; he was good. His features were gentle and soft and his eyes were warm. Was he really the prince? Was this the grandson of the Fire Lord? She was thankful he was nothing like his grandfather.

"My name is (Y/N)."

Zuko turned to her. The fire from hearth crackled and illuminated her face, he didn't think it were possible for a girl his age to be this beautiful. She had chubby cheeks but her big doe shaped eyes fit her face perfectly. She was adorable, not at all as scary as the fifteen soldiers made her out to be.

"(Y/N)," he tested and smiled, "That's a nice name."

She turned back to the flames and watched it as if it were the most beautiful art piece in the world.

"I'm sorry...about my grandfather and everyone else." Zuko apologized. He wasn't sure what to say to her. It was obvious she was being kept here against her will. He was eleven, he wasn't stupid.

"It's not your fault, or theirs I suppose. Human nature is conflict and strife."

Zuko looked at her in curiosity. "You say that like you're not human."

She turned to him. "I'm not."