A Match of Ice and Fire

Chapter 12: Zuko

I have been challenged to three Angi Kai's in my life. The first; when I dared to question my father's judgment. The secound; when commander Zhao theatrened to steal the honnor of capturing the avatar for himself. And finally; agianst azula to reclaim the throne which I now hold. Each time I barely walked away with my life.

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai." Princess Kaya's voice slices through the winter gardens like a sheet of ice.

I stop halfway down the stage steps and stare. "An Angi Kai is between two firebenders." I begin to explain very slowly to the princess. "You're a waterbender-"

"-I was well aware." She cuts me off, never dropping eye contact.

I speak without trying to sound patronising. "Angi Kai's are to settle grave disputes of honor."

"And marrying you isn't grave enough?"

One glance at chieftain Arnook and u see his face turn ashen.

Princess Kaya continues. "Forgive me if I'm wrong uncle, " she turns on Arnook, "but it's my hand your selling off to the Firelord, is it not? I only believe I should have a right to fight for my own hand."

Turning back to me, the Princess restates her claim. "I challenge Firelord Zuko to an Angi Kai at dawn. If I win, I don’t marry you, and I never have to see your hidious face ever agian."

"And if you lose?"

She laughs at the suggestion. "Then I'll marry you, eat my words and spend the rest of my days waking up next to your hidious face, being the perfect silent watertribe wifey you always wanted."

It's almost as if she thinks me winning isn't  a possibility. Me. The Firelord. I'm probably the secound most powerful Firebender after the Avatar, and she thinks I don't stand a chance?

Did she not see the display I just performed for her? No. I answer my own question, because every time I looked at Kaya, she was looking anywhere else. The only time I got her attention was when I decided to catch lightning. It wasn’t even suppposed to be in the routine. Iroh had said it was too reckless and i'd begrudgingly agreed. It was only a display after all. However, it was still a display I'd been working on rehearsing and refining for princess Kaya for the past four months. Admittedly, I didn't think I was going to perform it today but when I did, I thought the least she could do was look at me. And as it turns out, It took me almost firing lightning at her to get even that! Why did I care so much whether she was watching? It had been unbelievably reckless. Still, not as unbelievably reckless as a waterbender challenging the Firelord to an Angi Kai. "You can't even burn me!" Thats one key rule to winning.

Princess Kaya gives me a wicked grin.
"I'll find away..."

Does she seriously believe she can beat me?

"Firebenders rise with the sun." I try to explain to her. "As a waterbender, you'll be at your most disadvantaged at dawn..."

"Good." She smiles even more wildly at me. "Then your have no excuses when I kick your ass."

I can't decline an Agni Kai. As Firelord, I'd be dishonnoring the entire Fire Nation. Then agian, I am in the North Pole. Woman aren't even supposed to fight here. I could just laugh off this challenge right now, and probably get away with it. But now, right now, with Kaya ocean eyes finally blazing into mine, I can't look away. There is a challenge in those stormy eyes that I cannot control nor ingorn. It's unbelievably reckless and yet...

"Fine." All takes is Kays raising her eyebrow, and the words are out of my mouth before I know any better.
"I accept."