Burning Pile (Prince Zuko Book 1)

*seven*

Zuko felt a slight heat rise into his cheeks but he quickly controlled it. "I guess traveling with the prince took a tool on you, huh?" Zhao said looking at Aurora with a smirk, his eyes inspecting her scar. "Excuse me?" Aurora touched her cheek, right under the scar barely believing what she just heard, taking a step back. Tears collected in her eyes, no one ever said anything about her scar in a mean way, ever. Not even the Prince himself.

"You have no right to talk to her like that, Commander Zhao." Zuko said stepping in front of her, before turning back to her. "Wait on the ship until we're done here." He said leaning down slightly, his voice barely being above a whisper. Aurora gave him a sad smile and nodded, leaving for the ship again.

The prince was furious. He knew how Zhao was, but disrespecting someone that came along with the prince, was something he didn't expect. His mind was with Aurora, was she okay? Her eyes were filled with tears as she walked away, he knew how sensitive she was about her scar. Fuck. Everyone would be. On the ship she would be safe, he just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Aurora sat on her bed, she was worried. Hours passed and they still weren't back. What if something happened to them? Zuko is going to be so pissed, but she didn't care, she was worried. So she quickly walked back to the tent and saw no guards outside.

Voices coming from inside. "You have a scar to prove it." Zhao said calmly. "Maybe you'd like one to match!" She heard Zuko scream. What is it with this man and scars? Aurora thought quietly. "Is that a challenge?" Aurora gasped. She knew what this meant, and she knew that Zuko wouldn't back down.

Pictures from Zukos last Agni Kai still in her mind, she used to have nightmares of his screams. "An Agni Kai, at sunset." Zuko finally said as guards came back pushing Aurora in as well. A whimper escaped her lips as she fell onto the ground. "I told you to stay back." Zuko looked at her with the hatred he felt at Zhao and she flinched away from him.

She didn't mean to flinch, but right now he was so angry, he could do anything. She lowered her head walking to sit by Iroh. This wouldn't end well, she just felt that it would end terribly. "You're an idiot." Her voice was filled with disappointment. She didn't care that she just disrespected her prince. He turned to her.

"Fucking shut up, okay?!" He looked at her with every emotion he felt right now, with all of his pain. She held his glare. "No I will not! You're not thinking this through! You're risking your life just because he provoked you?" Aurora got up, standing opposite him. "Don't expect me to stay with you as you heal this time, because after how you treated me the last time, you don't deserve my worry." She shook her head being disappointed in him as she sat down in some corner.

Zuko looked to his uncle only to find him looking at him with the same amount of disappointment. "So none of you will support me out there." He asked angrily. "I said I won't sit with you until you heal if you lose, for my own pride, I didn't say that I won't support you kicking his ass." Aurora said still not looking up to him. "You will always have my support, Prince Zuko." Iroh said putting a hand onto Zukos shoulder.