First burn

Petals

Zuko was quiet for most of the day and even slept in his own room as Katara kept Suki in hers.

In the morning Zuko was already gone in the morning when she tried to see him. For confessing and him saying he loves her... was he avoiding her?

"Azula have you seen Zuko?" Katara walked over to the princess in the halls.

"No why?" She raised a brow.

"Just can't find him," Katara sighed moving past her not noticing the flower behind azulas back.

Azula looked down at the flower as she swallowed a lump in her throat. She sighed shaking her head and burned the flower throwing it over her shoulder so it turned into ashes before it touched the ground.

Katara turned the corner seeing a room with open doors and had a few candles lighting the room a little. She's seen the room before and it's usually always closed but the door was wide open and a few flowers were placed outside it and some plates of small foods or desserts.

She walked over curiously but a servant stopped her.

"I'm sorry my lady but your not allowed in there today," the girl said quietly in a whisper.

"What? What's in there?" Katara looked over her shoulder curiously and saw a young servant set another flower at the open doors and bowed his head down before leaving.

"Prince zukos been in there all morning, we're not to disturb the royal family, I'm sorry but including you," the young woman hushed her wide eyes.

"Why?" She still didn't understand.

"It's the day of lady ursa's passing, only the fire lord, prince and princess are allowed in there, mustn't disturb their prayers," the servant released her grasp on Katara and backed off a little.

"I understand, thank you for telling me," Katara gulped sadly a little as she was left to the halls as the servant walked away.

She walked over slowly and looked in the dim lit room seeing Zuko kneeling in front of a low table, his back was to her so she couldn't see what he was in front of.

"You can come in," she heard from inside. Zuko didn't move but she walked in the dark room.

"I didn't bring a gift," Katara walked up next to him.

She saw the portrait of a beautiful woman with flowers surrounding every surface of the table and candles moving up and down at a steady pace.

"I didn't either," Zuko had his hands clasped in front of him with his forehead pressed against his thumbs.

She recognized it when he prayed on their wedding day, mumbled another language in a low tone and eyes closed.

"You okay?" Katara asked.

"Yea I'll be done in a little," Zuko peaked at her with a smile.

She knelt down with him and put her hands together and lowered her head to copy him again.

"Take your time," she whispered. Zuko smiled sadly and mumbled again in the unrecognizable language as she listened and put in her own prayer for her mother in law.

"It's a prayer the sun warriors had for their loved ones, for the spirit world to guide their souls to somewhere with peace, somewhere maybe they'll see their own loved ones again that passed before them," Zuko explained in a low tone as he stared at the picture of his mother.

"I hope she sees my grandparents again, she was taken from them to marry my father, I hope she's with her family," he smiled a little adjusting the flower next to the portrait.