Flames Of Fate (Zuko X Reader)

Chapter Eighteen: The Birth of Scylla

A/N: Helloooo beautiful soul. Sorry it was exam week these last two weeks so I didn't update at all. But exams finished on Friday so here I am with a suuuper long update because you deserve it🥺😘

For the mental speeches between Hisashi and (Y/N);
This is Hisashi.
This is the Reader (Y/N)

This chapter is dedicated to vivicampo

~~❤️~~

It was tonight. This was it. (Y/N) couldn't sleep; she sat by the hearth, dull tired eyes reflecting the flickering flames that lit as silent as the dark foreboding night. It cast shadows across her young features, deepening the dark circles under her eyes. (Y/N) was a free spirit; captivity could do so much to such a young spirit.

Iroh told her to wait until she saw the shadow of the bag under her door. So she sat there, her rampant thoughts laced with the regret of not telling Zuko. Would it be different if she did? Would she still feel this heaviness in her heart? It didn't make sense.

She stared down at the doll Zuko had made for her; she'd take this with her to the ends of the earth. She'd still fulfill her promise to him; she'd come back with Hisashi and they would all travel around the world together.

As she sat there waiting, contemplating, she was unaware of everything happening around her. Destiny has a funny way of showing her cards; if things were so simple nothing would really be achieved. No unity without fear, no love without hate, no good without the bad. This was the balance; conflict, greed, treachery, love. This was all in the mix and it was brewing a storm that hung over the Fire Nation palace like a dark cloud.

(Y/N) was unaware of what took place after Zuko left the Throne room; but Azula did, she heard everything. She heard what Azulon had ordered Prince Ozai and what transpired afterwards changed the course of their destinies.

Iroh stared at the door that led to his father's private quarters; the Fire Lord's quarters, he corrected his thoughts. Azulon was the Fire Lord first before he was his father, as was his father before him; but Iroh wanted to break that cycle and he lost that chance with Lu Ten, at least he still had Zuko.

The thought of Zuko brought him comfort; helping (Y/N) escape was for Zuko as well. He saw how the young prince asserted himself in front of (Y/N) whenever the guards were near; it was like he was always protecting her, not that she was in any danger near him but he always seemed more alert when she was around.

But now everything was ready for (Y/N)'s escape, all but one; her mysterious dagger which she refused to leave without. He was here to retrieve it from the Fire Lord, even if it meant he had to do so with force.

It was late into the night already. He knocked on the door and heard a grunt from inside.

"Come in."

He opened the heavy doors and stepped into a study room; the lamp by the corners of the wall cast an orange glow across the red and black themed room and there sat the Fire Lord by his table.

"Iroh." He acknowledge without turning.

He was writing something in the dimness of the room, a cup of warm beverage beside his ink pot.

Iroh lowered his head in reverence. "Fire Lord."

Heat simmered from the cup next to Azulon as he reached over to pick it up, placing his brush aside. There was a stretch of silence as he sipped his drink before placing it aside, dark eyes closing.

"I'm to assume this isn't a customary visit, is it my son?"

Iroh, who still had his head lowered in respect, shook his head. "You must know by now what I have come for."