First burn

Judgement

"Your really letting me come with?" Katara asked as she followed Zuko through the trail with their robes wrapped around them as Zuko had a bag hidden under his.

"It technically was part of the deal, and I'm a man of my word," Zuko told her calmly as they approached the prison with two guards at the door.

"Good morning your highnesses," the guard bowed a little to them as Zuko dropped a few gold coins in his hand. A small bribe for the word to not spread.

"Do you think your uncle will be upset I'm here?" Katara hissed a little anxiously as they walked up the stairs. This is the only person to Zuko where their opinions matter.

"No, he's been excited," Zuko shrugged as they got to the floor that iroh would be at. He handed the other guard there two gold coins and walked into the room with the cell.

Zuko gave the guard a look to leave, she did so and walked to the stairs as he closed the door behind them as Katara waited inside.

"Good morning uncle," Zuko turned as the old man sat up stretching his arms as he slept on the ground.

"Your back, how was your trip prince Zuko?" Iroh yawned and noticed Katara sitting with Zuko.

"Oh! This is your fiancé!" Iroh smiled brightly while Zuko took the bag out from under his robe and handed it to his uncle.

"And it seems you've let her grown on you, good," he hummed opening the bag and took out some of the food in it as well as new clothes and blankets.

"You could say we tolerate each other," Zuko smirked and Katara frowned.

"Uncle Iroh, pleasure to meet you my dear," the old man put his fist against his palm with a small bow.

"Katara, I've  heard great things about you general Iroh," Katara bowed back with an awkward smile.

"Call me uncle," he grinned.

"Zuko you should count yourself lucky, even if your not flirt you still got yourself a beautiful young woman," Iroh teased and Zuko turned bright red.

"When my nephew and I were in ba sing si, I made him go on a date once and let me tell you how nervous he was-" "uncle!" Zuko stopped him quickly as Katara covered her mouth as she laughed.

"So it's not just Mai you've been a hopeless romantic with," Katara poked his arm and he swatted her hand away with a scoot to the side.

"My nephew has never been good with socializing, but does he attract the ladies," Iroh winked and Katara tried to hold back her giggles.

"That's it we're leaving, regrets for you two to ever meet," Zuko tugged at Kataras wrist as she stayed still.

"Oh he's just having fun Zuko, not like Azula has any fun stories," Katara pulled him back to the ground.

"Trust me, at least sokka was chatty up at the pole," Zuko grinned a little at her.

"You don't know anything," she snorted.

"So the penguin seal was..?" He whispered and she gasped.

"He told you about the penguin seal?! We never speak of the penguin seal!" She cried out in horror and he hummed in victory.

"How was the North Pole? How's the grumpy pakku?" Iroh changed the topic.

"He finally trained Katara to become a master bender, with the limited time we had," Zuko sighed softly with a shrug.

"Also Yue, Sokka, Katara and I are going to form an alliance as the next leaders of our nations, I think it'll do a lot of good to end the war after my father is out of the way," Zuko explained and Iroh smiled proudly at him.

"Very good prince Zuko, those alliances are bonds and friendships that will last you your life time, you don't think I didn't know each of the white lotus members when I was young? Probably your age when I met jong jong," iroh stroked his beard soothingly and Katara looked at him softly.

"Isn't Zuko apart of the white lotus like you?" Katara asked.

"Yes, he joined when i was imprisoned, speaking for me as well as a member, the white lotus will continue for generations with youth, with young minds like yours, the minds to change the world," iroh smiled at her and she pursed her lips.

"Isn't that treason to your country?" She asked concerned.

"That's why it's a secret society," he nodded with a smile that showed no fear.

"May I speak to your bride to be alone prince Zuko?" Iroh looked at his boy seriously and Katara gulped nervously.

"No more stories please," Zuko whined a little as he got up to leave.

"No promises!" Iroh laughed as he watched him leave the two alone.

"Is there something you need from me?" Katara asked softly.

"You spoke to Yue?" Iroh smiled back at her.

"A-about- uh on what?" Katara was surprised a little.

"About my nephew, before that trip you two would never care for each other's opinions, you wouldn't be nervous being alone with me, I can't hurt you behind these bars but you show your anxious still," iroh sighed gently as he used a knife from the bag to cut up a kiwi he had.

"She might've told me some things that made seem less terrible," Katara admitted.

"You know, he probably already has all his trust in you already if you've shown him kindness, if you've gone out of your way to be kind to him he trusts you," he chuckled shaking his head.

"You know if his past?" He asked frowning at the memories.

"Yes sir," she whispered nodding. She knew his mother's death, his cousins death, loosing Aang and dealing with the guilt, a selfish exe and a violent sister.

"How his mother left him and his father abused him and neglected him?" Iroh asked in a steady voice.

"General Iroh, no offense to you or Zuko or anyone, but every time with my behavior to your nephew, someone always brings up his past, his parents and his wrong doings, I almost feel like it should be guilting me for hating him at first," Katara sighed a little as she looked at the old man.

"If I'm trusting someone then it wouldn't be out of guilt, it'll be because they earn it, Zuko hasn't earned it fully," she explained with annoyance in her voice.

"And to be honest, this has nothing to do with you so no offense, but not everyone needs to be spreading zukos past and business, he has told me what I needed to know but other people want to keep slipping me a note under my door about his past and it's not their place to tell me," she ranted a little as the man listened.

"Yes I have trauma from my mother being ripped from me and getting killed and my village being raided, but I still have a father and brother and people in my life that love me very much I also didn't have very much in my tribe due to being in a tundra, so hearing how awful Zuko has had it  in a castle has been kinda fucking with my conscience to be able to properly judge someone when everyone around me that knows him is always talking about him in different perspectives; excuse me," she covered her face embarrassed but Iroh clapped his hands a little.

"Your going to make a fine leader one day," iroh applauded her with a grin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into her hands.

"You may be kind but you also have so much built up inside you, a fire that burns with your passion, but it's okay to let that fire breathe, fire needs oxygen to survive," he looked at her kindly.

"I'm glad you do not pity Zuko, keep that mind set and keep your guard up my dear, and give my boy a hard time for me, he's so easy to embarrass," iroh chuckled as he ate the food and Katara let out a small breath of relief.