Chapter 47: The Challenge
The clatter of chopsticks against porcelain ceased as Lord Shinu's voice cut through the murmurs of the feast.
"Prince Zuko," he began, his hawk-like eyes gleaming with curiosity, "there's a rather… fascinating rumor spreading through the lower rings of the capital about your time on Kyoshi Island. Care to enlighten us?"
Zuko paused, a sliver of roasted eel-shark suspended between his chopsticks. He feigned disinterest, but inwardly, he was pleased. 'Two hours. That's all it took for Ren's men to seed the taverns.'
"Rumors are like smoke, Lord Shinu," Zuko said, setting down his utensils. "They shift with the wind."
Ozai's fingers stilled around his wine goblet. *"Yes. Do enlighten us."*
Azula's nails tapped against the table, a silent, staccato fury. 'Who leaked this?' Her operatives had sworn the Kyoshi Island incident was buried, her leverage to wield when the time was right.
Lady Hina, ever the provocateur, fanned herself lazily. "Oh, it's delicious. They say when our dear prince visited Kyoshi Island, he didn't just fight the Avatar's little friends, he faced Avatar Kyoshi herself."
A hushed silence fell.
General Bujing's scarred brow furrowed. "Kyoshi? The woman's been dead for centuries."
"And yet," Lady Hina continued, her voice dripping with amusement, *"they claim she possessed the boy Avater, dragged Prince Zuko into the Spirit World, and nearly left him there. Of course, he did return…"
Ozai's gaze sharpened, his interest piqued. "Is this true, Zuko?"
Zuko leaned back, his expression carefully balanced between annoyance and pride. "It's exaggerated. But yes, Kyoshi showed up."
Azula's teacup clinked a hair too loudly against its saucer. "How convenient that no one mentioned this before."
"Would you have believed me if I had?" Zuko countered, smirking. "Besides, it wasn't exactly a diplomatic encounter."
Katara's fists clenched behind his chair. 'Liar.' She'd been there, chained and helpless, when Zuko had provoked Kyoshi, when he'd challenged her, mocked her, and then survived her wrath.
Ozai swirled his wine. "Explain."
Zuko obliged, spinning a tale with just enough truth to sting. "I went to Kyoshi Island for information on the power of the Avatar. Instead, I got a history lesson. The boy invoked Kyoshi, she took over, attacked me, and dragged me into the Spirit World. I barely made it back." He flexed his fingers, summoning a flicker of red-orange-tinged flame. "But I learned a few things along the way."
The nobles murmured. General Bujing's face darkened with envy.
"And this 'miniature sun' technique?" Lord Shinu pressed. "The rumors speak of a firebending form unlike anything seen since the days of the dragons."
Zuko extinguished the flame. "A work in progress."
Ozai's smile was slow, calculating. "Fascinating. And you didn't think to report this?"
"To whom?" Zuko shrugged. "The scribes? The court gossips? I figured you'd prefer a demonstration over a scroll."
Azula's voice was lethally soft. "Or perhaps you wanted to keep it quiet until you could use it against us."
The air turned to ice.
Zuko laughed, sharp and mocking. "Paranoia doesn't suit you, Azula. If I wanted to burn this family down, I'd start with your hair."
Ozai's chuckle broke the tension. "Enough. What matters is that my son has returned stronger." His gaze lingered on Zuko. "We'll discuss this further. Privately."
Behind Zuko's chair, Katara exhaled. The lie had worked—too well.
And Azula? She was already plotting how to turn it against him.
**Chapter 47 (Continued): The Unraveling**
The murmurs of approval at Zuko's display of the flame faded as Azula's voice sliced through the lingering heat, sharp as a dagger.
"If this new firebending is as impressive as you claim, Brother," she purred, leaning forward with her chin resting on interlaced fingers, "why delay it, why not show it off, why not demonstrate it against a worthy opponent? Someone like… Commander Zhao?"
General Bujing's scarred brow twitched. "The same Commander Zhao who defeated you in an Agni Kai mere days ago?"
Azula's smile widened. *"Oh, but that's the beauty of it. You see, Commander Zhao arrived in the capital last night. How convenient."
A ripple of curiosity passed through the nobles. Lady Hina's fan paused mid-flutter. "Didn't the prince claim his loss was… strategic?"
"Ah, yes!" Lord Shinu interjected, snapping his fingers. "Prince Zuko mentioned he allowed Zhao to win, to avoid drawing suspicion while carrying the Avatar. Clever, if true."
Zuko's jaw tightened imperceptibly, but he nodded. "I needed Zhao to believe he'd bested me. It kept him from interfering with my mission."
"How noble," Azula drawled, her tone dripping with mock admiration. "Then surely you'd have no qualms facing him again now, properly, this time. Another Agni Kai would make for a splendid demonstration."
Zuko leaned back in his chair, his golden eyes narrowing. "Like I asked you in my room when you proposed this little scheme… What's in it for me?"
The air prickled with tension. Azula's nails tapped the table again, her smirk unwavering. "Why, the chance to prove your loyalty, of course. Unless this 'miniature sun' of yours is just smoke and mirrors."
"Enough." Ozai's voice silenced the room. His gaze flickered between his children, weighing the undercurrents of their duel. "Azula raises a fair point. A display of strength would… solidify your standing."
Murmurs of agreement rose from the nobles. General Bujing, his face still stormy from Zuko's earlier boast, grunted. "Let the boy prove he's more than rumors."
Zuko's fingers curled against the armrest, his knuckles whitening. The lantern flames lining the hall suddenly flared, their light warping as if sucked toward him. His aura shifted, a volcano moments from eruption. "You're all so eager to see me dance on command," he hissed, his voice low and molten. "Tell me, Azula, what do you risk here? Or is this just another game to humiliate me?"
Azula's lips parted, her eyes alight with delight as Zuko's control frayed. "Humiliate you? Dear brother, I'm offering you a victory. Unless you're… afraid."
The temperature spiked. Servants skittered back as platters of food began to steam. Katara's hand instinctly shot to Zuko's shoulder, her touch a cool anchor. "Don't," she whispered, her breath grazing his ear. "This is what she wants."
Even Iroh looked to him with a look of pity, as if trying to speak with him telephatically.
Zuko didn't turn. His gaze remained locked on Azula, the inferno in his eyes banked, for now. Slowly, deliberately, he unclenched his fists. The flames died back to embers.
"What. Is. In. It. For. Me."
The question hung, icy and deliberate, as the hall held its breath.
Azula opened her mouth to retaliate, but Ozai raised a hand. "We will discuss terms after the demonstration. Prepare yourself, Zuko. The arena awaits at dawn."
Zuko stood, his chair scraping against stone. He offered his father the barest nod before turning to leave, Katara a shadow at his heels. At the doorway, he paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"Careful, Azula," he said, his voice eerily calm. "You keep poking dragons… eventually, you are burnt alive."
---
The heavy oak door to Zuko's chambers slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing through the dimly lit room. Katara lingered near the entrance, her back pressed to the wall as if it could swallow her whole. Zuko stalked past her, his boots striking the stone floor with clipped fury. The room was sparse, a low table strewn with maps, a lacquered armor stand, and a balcony overlooking the palace gardens, where moonlight pooled like spilled ink.
He paced. Back and forth, his hands flexing at his sides, flames licking faintly at his fingertips before he smothered them. The air smelled of charred silk and frustration. Without warning, he veered toward the balcony, gripping the railing hard enough to warp the metal. A guttural roar tore from his throat, followed by a torrent of blue-white fire that seared the night sky. The flames twisted upward, devouring the darkness before dissipating into embers.
Katara flinched. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until her lungs burned. 'Why does this bother me?' she thought, nails digging into her palms. 'This was the boy who'd chained her in a ship's hold, who'd sneered threats about Aang's life, who'd made Sokka's captivity a bargaining chip.' Yet watching him unravel, the raw, unfiltered rage, made her chest ache with something she refused to name.
"You're going to set the palace on fire," she said finally, her voice small but steady. She didn't move closer.
Zuko didn't turn. His shoulders rose and fell with ragged breaths. "Would that be so bad?"
The silence stretched. Crickets chirped in the gardens below. Katara's gaze dropped to the floor, tracing the shadow of a swaying lantern. 'He's a monster', she reminded herself. 'A monster who saved you from drowning one night and throw you into the same water when it suited him. A monster who…' She bit her tongue.
Minutes passed. When Zuko finally turned, his expression was eerily placid, the storm in his eyes replaced by a calculated calm. He leaned against the balcony door, arms crossed, and smirked. "Well? I think they bought that, don't you?"
Katara blinked. "Bought… what?"
"The performance." He shrugged, strolling toward her with deliberate ease. "The rage. The trembling. The pathetic loss of control." His smile widened, sharp and sly. "Did you really think I'd let Azula rattle me that easily?"
She stared at him, frozen. "You were… faking it?"
"Of course I was." He laughed, low and humorless. "You felt the shaking, the heat—good. That means it worked. Now the entire court thinks I'm a powder keg waiting to blow. Predictable. Weak." His gaze hardened. "I was the one who brought up the demonstration in the conversation Katara. I just gave her a hint about it and she went with it, it was almost too easy."
Katara's mouth went dry. The boy before her, the one who'd snarled and seethed moments ago, was gone. In his place stood someone colder, sharper, a blade hidden in silk. 'Who is this?' Her mind reeled. 'Who can turn their personality on the dime like that. Who could be that sinnical.'
"But why?" she whispered.
"Because secrets are weapons," he said, leaning in slightly. "And I intend to wield mine."
Katara took an involuntary step back, her shoulder hitting the wall. The proximity unnerved her, not because she feared him, but because she couldn't reconcile the contradictions. Monster and strategist. Captor and… something else.
Zuko straightened, his smirk softening into something almost genuine. "Get some rest. Dawn's going to be interesting."
As he turned to leave, Katara's voice halted him. "And what happens after the Agni Kai? If you win?"
He glanced over his shoulder, the lantern light carving his profile into gold and shadow. "Then I rewrite the rules."
The door clicked shut behind him. Katara sank to the floor, her thoughts a tempest.
'Who. Is. This.'
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