Princess of the Fire Nation

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

It had nearly been two weeks since Lian had been travelling with her Father and cousin on their quest to find the Avatar. So far, it had been the longest time she'd spent with her father since he decided to join Zuko in his banishment and she couldn't help but feel happy.

Despite Zuko's moody moments and her fathers attempts to baby her, Lian was happy to finally be around them. While she was grateful for the financial stability and security, she was given in the Fire Nation due to her role as a Princess, Lian couldn't help but always feel the need to travel. It was something her Uncle soon realised which was why he tasked her with keeping an eye on the colonies once she turned 18. Her role also meant she was able to sometimes spend a few days with her father and uncle if they were close to her location.

She wondered how her Uncle was feeling – she knew he wouldn't be happy. For the last two weeks, she avoided contact with the Fire Nation knowing any day now she would receive a hawk from her Uncle or Azula demanding she return to the Capital. Everyday she was with Zuko or her father, she always wondered if it would be her last for a while and some part of her wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Lian's thoughts were cut short by her cousins yelling – not that she should be surprised, he was always yelling. "Uncle! It's time to leave! Where are you? Uncle Iroh!"

Lian followed the voice of her cousin to finally see him standing besides her father who was happily relaxing in a natural hot tube made out of rock that was being fed by the stream behind it. Her father sank further into the hot tube with a sigh of satisfaction, oblivious to how it was making her cousin angry.

"Father, I believe this area is full of Earth Kingdom scouts. Perhaps we should move on" said Lian, trying to be the voice of reason. Their clothing didn't exactly scream Earth Kingdom, anyone could tell where they were really from.

"And we're closing in on the Avatar's trail and I don't want to lose him!" added her cousin, as always thinking about the Avatar.

"You look tired, Prince Zuko. Why don't you join me in these hot springs and soak away your troubles" replied her father, ignoring both attempts to get him to move on.

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" Lian watched the scene unfold with amusement. Sometimes it was hard to tell which one was the adult and which one was the child.

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself." To prove it, her father shifted his position slightly, put his hands together and breathes steam from his nostrils filling the area with warm heat.

Unimpressed by the show, an even angrier Zuko demands: "Enough! We need to leave now! Get out of the water!"

Lian knew exactly what was going to happen and was quick to turn her back to her father as he stood from the comfort of his hot tub, sighing in defeat. An unknowing Zuko however wasn't as quick as her.

"On second thought, why don't you take another few minute, but be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you" he said preparing to storm off but not before turning to his cousin who still had her back to her father "Lian, perhaps you can talk some sense into your father!"

Her father, ignoring Zukos anger, leant back into the hot tub happy with his extra time. Part of Lian believed her father did what he did because he knew it would get a reaction out of her cousin. 

"Father you need to stop messing with Zuko!" She scolded but from the smile on her lips, Iroh knew she was also amused by the young Prince's temper.

"My life would be nothing but boredom without the ability to tease my nephew and it's not my fault he makes it so easy" teased her father, sinking further into the warm water and closing his eyes.