My arm still wrapped around her neck as I squeezed tightly. My body released my seed deep inside her.
Softening up my grip I heard Katara's panting body as mine did the same.
"Just admit you stole it... and I could stop tomorrow," I whispered in he...
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Lotus placed my child into my trembling arms and stood close by the bed. My body felt hollowed out—weak, drenched in sweat, and shivering with exhaustion. I could barely lift the glass LuTen had brought me moments before, yet holding my baby summoned a fierce, wordless strength.
The infant slept peacefully, her tiny chest rising and falling in a rhythm that seemed to quiet the whole world. Porcelain skin, straight dark hair—there was no mistaking Zuko's features in that small face.
"Oh, spirits," I whispered, a smile breaking through the ache in my body. I couldn't look away from her.
"What will her name be?" Lotus asked, kneeling beside us, her expression soft and warm.
"Her?" I blinked, stunned, the word filling me with wonder. "I... I don't know. I just assumed it would be a boy. I never thought about a girl." My smile widened as I traced the curve of my daughter's cheek with a trembling fingertip.
"You just gave birth. You don't have to choose right now," Lotus soothed.
But her smile faltered—shadowed by something unreadable.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my heart tightening.
"The physician will come tomorrow to examine your shoulder," she said quietly.
Only then did I notice how still the room was—too still. Just the three of us. "Lotus... where's LuTen?"
"He's out searching for whoever might have harmed you," she replied, though her posture betrayed unease.
"Who do you think did it?" I asked, bracing for the answer.
Lotus's voice dropped to a whisper. "LuTen is the former crown prince. His head would fetch more ransom than yours. The wound was from a single arrow—precise, deliberate. Someone meant to do this."
Her words settled into the silence like a storm on the horizon. For a moment, all I could hear was the fragile, steady rhythm of my daughter's breathing.
"Wa... wa... wahhhh."
I held my baby closer, feeling the warmth of her tiny body against my skin as I gently rocked her. Each soft cry pierced through the haze of exhaustion, yet the weight of her in my arms soothed me more than any medicine could. Every movement sent a sharp reminder through my shoulder, but the pain was worth it.
"You're safe, Katara," Lotus murmured, her hand tracing slow circles along my back. "Why don't you give me the baby so you can rest? I'll keep an eye on her in the nursery."
Lotus extended her arms, but I didn't move. My gaze stayed locked on her face.
"Lotus..." I said quietly. "Can you help me with something?"
"Of course," she replied, lowering her hands immediately, her expression open and patient.
I took a slow breath, steadying my voice. "I want to send a letter to Zuko."
