A Match of Ice and Fire

Chapter 25: Zuko

Kaya waited untill we were about five miles out before she headed below deck. She smiled and waved at the canoes come to send us off. She played the part of doting fiance perfectly. Only when boats disappeared over horizon did she finally retire. And even then It took Kaya Nearing fainting over the ships railing for her to relent to my request she sleep. I offered to show her to her quarters, but Kaya wanted to find her own way and I wasn't about to deny her. It was least I could do after all she'd given up today.

I found our enagement necklace discarded in the engine rooms. It was so hidious, I consider tossing it into the furnaces. No doubt Kaya had. I wouldn't have blamed her if she did. How much more in-your-face Fire Nation could you get? With the massive gold insigna glaring at you? And the rubies? They didn't suit Kaya at all. It should have been dark sapphires, at least they matched her eyes, or Diamonds? No rare gem could ever compare to her face. Kaya had the kind of beauty that was invaluable. However my advisors would never let me hear the end of it if I torched this hidious necklace, so I took it back to my room and hid it in my bed side draw. The last thing I needed was an engineer finding it and trying to return it to Kaya when she wanted to be left alone. I only walked past her room once, and what I'd heard haunted me the rest of the day. Tiny, quiet sobs muffle through the door. It made me want to turn the ship around and sail right back to the Northern Watertribe. But I didn't. Because I'm a terrible person. Instead, I spent the afternoon wishing I could unhear Kaya's misery.
I forced myself to visit Kaya in the evening when I found out she hadn't eaten anything all day. I brought her some roasted turtle duck. But when I'd knocked on the door. There'd been no replie. I tried again, knocking harder and i'd accidentally ended up knocking the door ajar. I'd seen Kaya then collapsed on the floor, curled up on the rug. I'd near dropped the food rushing over to help her untill I realise she was asleep.

I tried waking Kaya gently, but she must have been exhausted from yesterday. She didn't even stir when I lifted her into bed. I was concerned, when I felt her forehead it was cold and she looked paler than usual. I considered summoning the ship's physician to examine her... but then Kaya had sneezed, mumbled somthing in her sleep and rolled over onto my arm. She looked so peaceful, for a moment i'd considered just staying and watching her for a while. Then I realise how creepy that wsd and quietly tried to extract my arm out from under Kayas head.

Her ocean blue had fluttered and me being the idiot that i am,  froze on the spot.

"Zuko...?" Kaya trailed off eyes drooping closed again.

"Sorry, I came to give you dinner... i knocked your door open, you were on the floor, i tried to wake you but you wouldn't so i thought I'd carry you to bed, I'm sorry..." I ramble-whispered before realising kaya had already drifted off to sleep agian, evidently to exhausted to make any sense of why i was here, "You should go back to sleep." I continued whispering like the world's dumbest idiot. "I'll leave the turtle duck out for later and get someone to run you a bath for when you wake up. Tell the crew if you need anything, I'll be right next door so..." seeing Kaya's raw red tear stainted face, I'd  trailed off. Rising silently, I'd lit a fire in the far corner of the chamber, instructed a maid to run a bath and a physician to examine the princess if Kaya's condition worsened at any point during the night. I returned to Kaya's room, as I'd neglected to pull back the covers before I'd dumped her on the bed, had to lay my robe over her to stop her from shivering. Against my better judgement, I'd also wetted my handkerchief and carefully tried to dab away Kaya's tear staints before realising I could no longer justify spending any longer in a room with an unconscious lady and I forced my leave, stepping out and pulling the door closed.

"How is she?" Iroh met me outside.

"Resting." I didn't have the heart to say anything more as I made my way back to my bedroom."Good night, Uncle." I said as I pulled my door closed.

"Sleep well." It appear even my uncle didn't have the heart to say anything tonight either.