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Kiss of Fire	By : Spleef Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > General Views: 75165 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 26
- 27
- 28
Kiss of Fire
Chapter 27 – Emerald Hell
o0o0o0o
Fire Lord Zuko
After a tedious and frustrating morning meeting with Enki and his men, he said that he needed to stop and discuss with his men privately the terms that I wanted to offer them. I was all too glad to be rid of his presence. After all, sometimes an agreement was easier to reach when all parties involved had a chance to calm down, right?
When I learned of what had happened to my wife and son, there were no words to describe my rage. I had been getting ready to resume my meeting with Enki after a lunch break and a consult with my own advisers. A guard came running to me, and I had not seen any of my servants or men agitated in so long.
“The Lady… the Prince! Earthbenders!” he gasped. Ice formed in my stomach. In a short time, I found out that all of the Earth Kingdom men were gone but for a few… a few that seemed to me to be nothing but servants or low-ranking men. Men who would be of little import to Enki, and easily discarded as distractions for me. They were immediately taken into custody, and revealed nothing, proving my suspicions right. They were afraid, clearly, and several of my men interrogated them, even threatened them.
The Palace was in a bustle, and I sent a message to the docks, only, ordering them to have my ship and crew ready, as well as several other ships, for both air and water. Fortunately, Kamas had been wise enough to order all of this done before I could send my order. That man had a good head on his shoulders.
Not even Agni’s fire could surpass my wrath at the crimes committed against me.
o0o0o0o
Katara
My son’s wails were heartrending, and I felt my own eyes become glassy with tears as I screamed for him. His cries continued down the hallway as he was hauled away and faded suddenly as I heard a door slam. My arms were held down firmly, and I glared at Enki.
“He's just a child! Why are you treating him like this! Are you going to hurt him?”
“He is a prisoner. Worry not, he will not be killed. I’m not dishonorable like Zuko.”
Ha! As if kidnapping a woman and child was honorable at all!
“Please let him stay with me. He is my son and I am the only familiar face here! He is a child and he is scared!” I would never forget his wails of fear and pain.
“No.”
“Why not?” How could he be so callous to the cries of a child?
“Because you do not belong with any of them.” Enki stated as he approached me, motioning the guards to let go of my arms. I stood there silently, knowing that if I tried to fight, I would be held again.
“I am married to one, and mother to another one. What you did will have repercussions.”
“Not anymore, and repercussions only for them. Not us.” he grasped my arm gently, leading me out of the room as the guards fell in step at a respectful distance.
“You cannot declare that my marriage is over.” I stated. I almost said, ‘And I don’t want it over, either!’, but I held my tongue, for the situation was uncertain and I had to assess it.
“I can and shall. I saw you first. He took you to spite me.” he stated. I started to shake my head. If it had been indeed out of spite, Zuko would have discarded me, placed me at a distance, keeping me in comfort and solitude for the rest of my days while he pursued someone else. That had been indeed my fear at first, of being a discarded concubine. How lucky and happy I was to be a much-loved wife.
We came through a set of double doors, made of oak and reinforced with brass nails and runners. This was clearly the King’s cabin, for the furniture and holdings were of much better quality. The guards were dismissed to stand outside, and they closed the doors as they left. I looked around. The furniture was rich, but I cared not. All I wanted right now was to be in my husband’s apartments, with its rich red and mahogany furniture, a fire cheerily dancing in the hearth, sharing tea or a more intimate comfort with my Lord.
Oh, Zuko. Come for me, I silently prayed as I looked around, my heart pounding. A servant appeared out of seemingly nowhere, with a soft beige and green robe in his hands.
“That is for you.” Enki stated, the servant kneeling before me, offering the robe. I shook my head, very much preferring the soft silk of my red and black robe.
“Put it on.” he stated in a firmer tone. The servant trembled a little.
“No.” I replied calmly. His eyes narrowed. There was no doubt in my mind that he had been expecting me to be happy and compliant.
“You are not Fire Nation! I rescued you from them and you repay me with this attitude!” he snarled. It was on the tip of my tongue to scream at him. But I thought of Kuzon, and my own situation. I was surrounded by enemies, and my situation was precarious.
I decided to play a different game, keeping my thoughts close to my heart. It was not a game I wanted to play, but it was a game that I could win, if I was careful.
“Forgive me… I’ve just been in Fire Nation so long. I’m so used to being in red…” I stated, feigning a bit of confusion. He caught on to my ‘mindset’ and came to his own conclusion.
“Of course. They would have brainwashed you.” he said. I pretended to not know.
“Brainwashing? What could you be talking about?” I asked innocently.
“See, that’s what I mean! But you’re safe! Just put on the green robe, you’re safe.”
Putting on a vapid smile, I nodded.
“If I might have some privacy, please? It is not proper for a lady to change in front of a man.”
I hated putting on the new robe, or having a female servant helping me out it on, and knew that my old one would be summarily discarded. Again, I prayed for Kuzon. I shooed the woman away when she started to undo my hair, plucking out the Fire comb I had in my bun. I grabbed for it, but she tossed it aside as if it were a useless trinket. I didn’t like having someone help me dress, but she was adamant about it, as if she thought me helpless. I rarely used a servant at the Palace when attending to my own needs, preferring to take care of myself.
When I was face-to-face with the man responsible for my captivity, I wanted to spit at him again.
“Does this please you?” I asked, struggling to keep the sarcasm out of my tone.
“Yes. Green suits you far better than red.” Enki stated, a gleam in his eyes. I looked down, saying nothing.
“Come here, Miumi.”
I glanced up at him, noticing that he had two wristbands, wrought out of gold. I felt my heart start to pound, and made no move to approach him.
“Come here.”
“You’re not putting these on me.” I stated. I had no desire to wear any jewelry from him!
“Why not?” Enki asked with an edge to his tone. I remembered how he did not like any sort of hesitation, or even the slightest disagreement from anyone. I wasn’t sure how to answer without getting him angrier. My thoughts remained on my husband and son. It was only my thoughts of them that kept me from yelling or hitting him.
“Any concubine would be honored to have such gifts!” he stated as he approached me. My eyes widened slightly.
Concubine? Concubine? Going from wife to concubine was just... “Concubine?” I asked, taking a step back.
“Yes. What? Did you think I would just take you away from Zuko and dump you somewhere in Omashu?”
“I am the Fire Lady. I am not a concubine!”
“Don’t worry.” he replied cajolingly, as if speaking to a child, “You’ll have it much better in Omashu. You’ll have servants, a manor of your own, and a garden. Things will be much better with me, than with that… monster.”
“You think that these things will distract me? My son is in the brig, and he is lonely and scared! He needs to be with me!”
“Now, now. A concubine of mine need not worry about a Fire Nation child. No doubt your parents will be happy to have you back home. And they will be honored to know that you are a concubine of the first rank.”
Concubine of the first rank? It was indeed a high position, second only to Queen. I decided to challenge him a bit.
“First rank? Why not Queen? Am I not good enough?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“I can’t have a Water Tribe peasant as Queen. Surely you understand. Besides, you get first rank, so what’s there to complain about? That’s right below whoever I choose as my Queen, and you’ll be above all the other concubines!”
Plenty, I thought. Zuko had no compunctions whatsoever about making me Fire Lady despite my heritage or opposition from people in his Court. And other concubines? What was he talking about? No. I shouldn’t even ask…
“What other concubines?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, there’s three at the moment. There’s already someone in First Rank, but I’ll just demote her to second. She was boring me, anyway. You’ll be at the head of the harem.” Enki stated with a dismissive shrug. His casual way of talking about women… I knew without a doubt that this would have become my fate sooner or later, favored for a bit before being demoted and pot out of sight, to spend the rest of my days in loneliness unless I had some dalliance with a servant or guard. And were I caught, the law would permit Enki to behead or banish me, while he could have as many women as he pleased. Just because of the fact that he was a male and I was not.
“I’m not going to be a concubine. I want to be a wife, not a toy.” I replied calmly. He scowled.
“I would be your husband. You’re not a toy, don’t be silly! You don’t need to be afraid. You’ll like it. You don’t belong in Fire Nation. Just forget the lies they’ve been feeding you.” he stated smoothly. I was about to protest, but again thought of Kuzon, and the fact that we were surrounded by guards. It was a bitter pill to swallow. As I stood there, distracted by my own thoughts for a while, I found the golden cuffs on my wrists, being clamped down one after the other in Enki's powerful two-handed grip.
They were thick, and there was no way I could remove them on my own. I stared down at the cuffs, thick and heavy, against my skin. I abhorred the sight and feel of them!
Spirits, preserve me, I prayed as I tried to not make it obvious that I was angered and disgusted. His hand went to my arm and I looked back up at him. His lips were puckered, and I realized what he was about to do. Quickly turning my head, I felt his lips on my cheek. I didn’t care if he would be displeased or not – I had no desire to receive a beastly kiss from him!
“Don’t be afraid, Miumi. Nothing bad will happen to you. You’re safe, and the Fire Nation will get what it deserves!”
I remained silent. Enki would get what he deserved… not the other way around. Surely Zuko knew of the situation by now, even if a quick getaway had been made. The more I thought about it, the more I was certain this had been well-planned, with someone on the inside. Who? Kamas? Sylid? Jeong Jeong? No. It couldn’t be. I remembered the ominous feeling I had at Miharaki’s party. It had been a setup. But who had helped? Miharaki or her family? My mind raced with all kinds of possibilities as I tried to assess the situation.
I barely noticed the food set down on the table, and picked at it while Enki gloated over what he believed would happen. To keep him mollified, I nodded and made appropriate comments as I thought about Kuzon and how scared he must feel in the brig. I hated the robe I wore and the stupid cuffs he had placed on me. I imagined myself taking these cuffs off, and shoving them up Enki into a place where the sun did not shine.
After supper, when he seemed to be in a more relaxed and assured mood, I ventured forth with my request.
“Let me see Kuzon, please.” I asked, keeping my head bowed, and silently rebelling at that gesture. I had found it hard to do to Zuko at first, when I had still been upset at living with him. But bowing to Enki? It took every fiber in my body to not rebel at the play of obedience that I was performing for him.
“No. There is no reason for you to see such a worthless child.”
Spirits, damn him to hell, I silently prayed.
“If he is so worthless, why not let him go?” I asked pleasantly. He was silent for several moments, unsure of how to respond to the bait I had set out.
“Ah… I meant, worthless to you. He’s just a Fire Nation child. A pawn, to get back at the Fire Nation and give them what they deserve. If you want a child of your own, I can put one in you.” Enki replied with a small smirk.
Ew. No. Oh hell no. The mere thought of coupling with Enki disgusted me down to the very fibers of my being. A wave of nausea actually hit me as I tried to banish the thoughts of Enki taking me from my mind.
I quickly excused myself to the washroom and washed my face and hands after I relieved myself. I missed my own washroom, and would have hidden in here all night if I did not know that would piss my captor off.
He was sprawled on the bed, wearing nothing but loose pants. His muscled form elicited no response from me, not even the faintest stirring – thank the spirits for small favors – and I simply stared at him calmly.
“Come to bed, Miumi.” Enki stated in what was supposed to be a bedroom voice. Except it came off as a mere command, in what was a mockery of a seductive tone. And there was no way I would share a bed with him… that was going too far for my play of obedience.
“Come.” he repeated, his voice firmer now.
No, no, no! My heart thudded as I stared at the bed, made up of green silk. I’d rather sleep on the floor. Or in the dirt. What do I do? Pretend to be sick? I doubted he would fall for that, as thick as he appeared at times.
“I… am unclean.” I stated, the words tumbling off my tongue almost before they had formed in my mind. He stared at me for several moments before frowning, both angry and disappointed.
“Sleep in the other room, on the sofa. I don’t want to be contaminated.” he stated, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
I was insulted by his callous behavior, but also relieved. I didn’t have to sleep in his bed! This was definitely a time where Enki’s childishness worked in my favor! I was just glad that Zuko didn’t act or think the same way. Zuko, come and get me, I prayed as I bowed out and lay on the sofa. It wasn’t too comfortable, but I considered it far better than lying next to Enki, much less being taken by him.
Positioning one of the cushions under my head, I settled down for a restless night. My thoughts raced all over the place, thinking constantly of my husband and son.
o0o0o0o
Kuzon
It was dark and wet down here. I was scared. I wanted Mama, and my lord. The room was small, and I didn’t like the smell.
“I want my mama!” I cried out. There were some guards out in the hall. They ignored me. I banged my fists against the door. I was supposed to be brave, but it was hard to do right now. I made a fire in my hand and used it to light up the room. There was a little skeleton in one corner. I think it was a rat. I wasn’t afraid of it, but I didn’t like it. I was hungry and I had to go to the washroom. I banged on the door. Someone came to the door and stared down at me. He had a mean stare.
“What is it, you little pissant?” He had a loud growl.
“I’m hungry.”
“This is not the deluxe suite, brat. When His Highness decides you get some food, you can have it. Maybe tomorrow. After he’s ravaged that pretty Water Tribe girl.”
“Mama! He can’t hurt Mama!”
“Mama? That woman? Hey, this kid thinks the Water Tribe girl’s his mother!” He started laughing, and I heard someone else laugh too.
“She is my mama!” I cried out.
“She is not your mama!” he roared at me. I backed away from the door, trying to not cry.
“I want out of here!” I screamed, feeling the fire inside of me build up.
“Eh, sure. We’ll let you out of here… when we get to Omashu. Then you’ll be put in a cell over there. Worthless Fire Nation brat.”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt awful. I felt miserable. Even when Father was mad at me, he had never said anything so mean. What would happen to Mama? What did ravage mean? It didn’t sound like a nice word.
I curled up against the wall. There was no chair or bed or anything. Just the hard floor. I was cold and wished I had a blanket. But I knew the guards would not want to give me one. They would just laugh at me. I didn’t want to hear them laugh at me anymore.
o0o0o0o
Katara

Enki snored. Loudly. I lay there on the sofa, listening to his rumbling breath. I hated it. Zuko breathed softly, and my sleep around him was always restful. I heard the snoring from the other room and had to hold back a scream. I wanted to take a cushion and press it against his face.
I rose from the sofa and walked around quietly. His snoring covered any sound I might make, and I came to the door. I heard snippets of conversation from guards on the other side. Damn. I could not sleep at all, and I wanted to see Kuzon and hold him. Tentatively, I opened the door, and the guards stared down at me. They stood in front of the door, keeping me from leaving.
“Is there anything you need. Are you hungry?” one of them asked neutrally.
“I am concerned for Kuzon. I need to see him, please.”
“The King issued his orders. You are not to see the prisoner.”
“He’s just a little boy!”
“He is fine where he is. Go back in there.”
“No. I need to see him.”
“We have our orders.”
I spent the night walking around the suite restlessly, staring out the small windows, thinking of a escape plan, and fretting over the whole situation. When morning came, I was both strung out and worn out. I noticed that my hands shook slightly. I had never been so scared of anything my whole life… not even going to Fire Nation to be married to Zuko.
Enki arose with a soft groan, finally bringing a end to the snoring. After talking with the guards for a bit, he turned back to me with a smirk, ignoring my tired appearance.
“None of the Fire Lord’s ships are in sight. I beat him!” he laughed, like a child who had just won a game. I felt my stomach knot at that. Surely Zuko wasn’t sitting back and letting this happen. Unless… something had happened to him. I had to lean against a chair, to keep myself from collapsing. No. I silently prayed to the spirits for my husband’s safety. And for the safety of the men who worked with him. Had their ships been sabotaged somehow? Every thought brought about a new possibility.
I barely touched my breakfast. Enki didn’t seem to notice or care. He was too busy gloating, and I could only imagine all the thoughts running around in his head. I felt slightly dizzy, and tried to hide my shaking hands from him. How could all of this have happened?
There was a sudden rapping on the door and I gasped softly, the sharp sound having drawn me out of my thoughts.
“Your Highness! Our men just spotted a Fire Nation airship pursuing us!”
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Kiss of Fire