Fire Queen

Chapter 29

"Where is she?"

Zuko asked walking into the apartment a while after the sun had disappeared below the horizon, this time finding everyone but her present around the table.

"Welcome Zuko" Uncle greeted, to which Zuko replied with a bow "Uncle"

Zuko's eyes traveled around the room and got stuck on Hiroto sitting next to a young boy. "Where is my wife?" Zuko asked again.

Hiroto stood up and bowed his head "your highness, please believe me there is nothing.." but he was cut off by my Zuko, "I am not asking for an explanation from a peasant, I am asking where is the queen of my nation?"

"She is on the roof, she said she will wait for you there" Uncle replied

As Zuko walked toward the window Aang came in the middle "Zuko"

"Don't worry Aang I will not do something stupid, I just want to hear the truth from her mouth" Zuko replied calmly after getting his satisfaction he gave Zuko a way to climb out.

"Hey," Ryu said sitting in her usual spot, "Hey" Zuko replied taking a seat right next to her. After sitting there in silence for what felt like hours Zuko took a deep breath "I want naked truth"

"Naked truth" Ryu repeated, "Where should I start?" she asked.

"How long this has been going on?" Zuko asked, staring at the bright lights of the city below.

"Don't you think it's more important to know what this is?"

"Tell me, my queen, what is this?"

"Tell me first who is asking my king or lover?" she asked running her hand through her hair

"The man who use to sit under the moonlight staring at your balcony door hoping you would walk out of it any minute, the man whose heart started to jump out of his chest whenever a servant brought a letter to him, hoping it was from his lover telling him she is coming back to him forever"

"Will that man believe me if I said that was nothing more than a friend's love?"

After few minutes is silence with nothing but the wind blowing, Zuko looked in his heart, will he believe it, but what choice does he have, what can he do other than to believe every word she says to be truer than any truth ever spoken, Its not like he can just getup and leave, Forget her and move on. 

"He will believe it"

Ryu grabbed Zuko's face with her both hands, making him turn toward her, she stared into his golden eyes which seem to lose the shine they once  held. the shine she first recognize  when she danced with him for the very first time around the bonfire back at the island, when life was simpler, when the matters of the heart were not even last of her concerns, how far they have come, from that bonfire surrounded by friends and family to on the roof of the strangers land that Ryu never saw her self even steping on with a man Ryu couldn't have even imagined in her wildest dreams. 

Ryu left a little peck at his lips "My love it is nothing more than two friends who care about each other and enjoy each other's company"

She Kissed him again "Believe the girl who spends countless nights sitting under these stars hoping that her love will climb up and tell her he is here for her, how everything will be okay, how they will finally be together till their last breath. Believe her my lover" Ryu pleaded.

"I am here for you," Zuko said and pulled her in for a kiss "We will be together till our last breath" he kissed her head "Everything will be okay"

"Promise?" Ryu asked putting her head on his shoulder.

"Promise"