A Match of Ice and Fire

Chapter 28: Zuko

I win. Barely. It doesn't matter. What matters is I win. At least, until Kaya flips me on my back next round. But that's another story. We take a break midday and join Iroh for lunch on deck. 

Kaya gloats over hot noodle soup. 

I try to rise above--and fail miserably. "I was going easy on you!"

"Oh really?" Kaya scoffs. "My bad, Fire Boy, I thought it was the other way round."

 She winks.

 "I'll be sure to go harder next time..."

I know it's ridiculous, Kaya hates my guts, but sometimes when i catch that spark in her sapphire eyes, I can almost pretend she's flirting with me.

In reality, I know Kaya uses the conversation as a distraction. She hardly touches her food. The most she does is steal a sticky bun from my plate, Which I pretend to object to. Truth is, I'm concerned about her.

Kaya barely picked at  the turtle duck last night.  She skipped breakfast today. she must be starving, but even in the afternoon she denies food. I consider confronting her, but that would mean baring my inner most fears  to Kaya, and right now I feel alot more comfortable letting  her hurling icicles at me.

Deep down, I know the reason why kaya isn't eating. It's because of me. Franky, the prosect of marrying the Firlord would make anyone outside my nation nauseous and  after what Kaya went through, its a miracle she doesn't hurl her guts up at the sight of me.

 All things considered, I should be glad she's handling it a lot better than i would.

 yet, the horror stories of my mothers enagement to my Father,  the threat of history repeating itself, burns hot in the back of my mind. by the time i was seven, i knew the rumours about my mother. how she stopped eating. how she couldn't keep anything down. how she hated my father. Staff in the palaces inner-circle whispered and gossip about the Prince's wanning Wife with the weak consitution. 

Before Cousin Luiten died, what my mother had or hadn't throw up was the favourite topic of conversation at the royal dinner table. 

The memory of those conversations alone is enough to set my stomach roiling.

"Scared to go again, Fire boy?" Kaya calls, standing before the backdrop of the setting sun.

"Please," I roll my shoulders trying to hide the tension knotted there, "I'm the firelord. I'm not afraid of anything."

"Right..." Kaya drawls before sending an icicle shooting my way.

 I leap back, yelping.

Kaya smirks. "you were saying?"