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The Price of Peace	By : Looneyluna Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 19166 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

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Chapter Nineteen –

Mornings were always difficult. Even though he had been with Katara for so little a time, it was difficult for him to wake without her. She could be his greatest strength if he allowed it, but also his greatest weakness. Her presence along his side had afforded him a rare glimpse of a life without fear – the fear he had been born into, the fear he had learned from his father, the fear his mother had tempered with her compassion, the fear Azula had exploited with her deceitful ways.

Zuko’s thoughts lingered on his sister. She was here. He could feel her. He had spent years letting the guilt of her “death” chip away at his soul. To hear that she was alive had been bittersweet.

Sitting up, he looked at the young monk across the room. “Have you been up all night?”

The Avatar’s eyes snapped open and he inhaled. He looked around the room that was more like a cell than anything else. After all, Zuko was in hiding and he wasn’t supposed to be here either. “Yes and no. I’ve been meditating, wondering how we were going to go about bringing Qiang and Azula to justice.”

“Justice?” asked Zuko. “You want to bring them to justice? Isn’t it obvious that my sister recognizes no laws?”

Aang shrugged his shoulders. “Your sister is relentless. Nevertheless, she will pay for what she did. She will be judged by the elemental tribunal –”

“Tribunal!” Zuko retorted scathingly, his frustration over the last few months bringing his long-dormant temper to the forefront. Flames embraced his fingertips as he tried to control his temper. Two days had passed since Qiang’s arrival and that of the mysterious woman behind the veils. His survival and that of his nation’s prosperity hinged on the outcome of this farce. “You and I do not make a tribunal! A third nation is needed for the tribunal.”

“The third nation has arrived,” a tired voice announced from the doorway. Iroh entered the small room, followed by a reluctant Earth Princess, whose eyes widened upon seeing Zuko.

“I don’t believe it,” she gasped, warily approaching Zuko. “You faked your own death.”

“You must forgive our elaborate deception, Princess Wan,” Iroh entreated from the doorway, “but it was necessary to bait the trap just so. Your kingdom and our nation’s destinies are intertwined. We face a mutual enemy.”

Crossing her arms over her ample cleavage, the woman circled the half-dressed leader of the Fire Nation with skeptical eyes. “I’m well aware of my own domestic troubles.”

“Then you are aware that the man responsible for the raid on the village at Mt. Mahaku is here,” Zuko stated, testing the Earth Kingdom royal for a response.

The old woman glared at her royal counterpart. “I have my own suspicions regarding General Qiang. The evidence against him in regards to the raids is immaterial. You cannot hold an Earth Kingdom citizen hostage –”

“He is a general in your army!” Iroh interrupted scathingly. “He has carried out raids against both nations and implicated my nation in these atrocious attacks. He will answer for his actions!”

“Is he to be a prisoner of war then?” Her words hit their mark and everyone fell silent.

Aang was the first to speak, meaning his words to diffuse the tense situation. “There’s more. We believe that Princess Azula is in league with him. The girl who testified at the summit…”

He paused, his thoughts lingering on Meng. “She saw blue lightning and someone called out Azula’s name –”

“But she’s dead,” she sniffed in disdain, flicking a questioning glare toward Zuko.

“I thought so, too.” Zuko pulled a loose red robe around his shoulders and tied the sash with a vicious jerk.

Iroh stepped forward and put a conciliatory hand between the representatives of the royal houses. “Princess Wan, your promise to me has been fulfilled. As a member of the Order and a loyal subject of the Fire Nation, you have my deepest gratitude. You waited. Now I must ask more of you.”

She gave Iroh a look of disbelief.

“I ask that you listen,” the old general sighed.

--

Sitting on the cushions as comfortably as she could, Azula peered through the veil at the ornate surroundings and remained silent. Only in the cover of darkness could she take off the trappings of her disguise. She hadn’t slept or eaten in two days. She had played the role of dutiful concubine and had kept herself covered.

The private dining area was dimly lit, the paper doors which surrounded the room were cast in dancing shadows of patrolling guards and servants. Azula scoffed. This was where her father had liked to bed his concubines. It was the center of their living quarters, a stage he would use to put her mother in her place.

She and Qiang had spent two days waiting to be summoned by his royal tea-loving kookiness – two days of Iroh’s underlings telling them that he was busy with state business. The old man was stalling. She had no idea why. Qiang took the delay in stride, teasing her about her impulsive nature.

They were waiting again – waiting for the Fire Lord to arrive for dinner. Agni, how she was going to love plucking the ornamental flame from her dying uncle’s hair! Even if Iroh did welcome her back, she was to going to take great pleasure in killing him.

“Just follow my lead,” Qiang murmured under his breath, sitting next to Azula.

Azula sighed. She heard the focused quality of his voice. On the surface, Qiang seemed calm, but she knew him to be otherwise. He was calculating – odds and strategy. Perhaps he was even regretting the decision to walk into this obvious trap.

“Even if it is a trap, we will escape,” he stated softly, easily interpreting her disapproval of their current predicament.

“And what if we don’t?” she retorted. “What if something happens to you? What will happen to me?”

Qiang chuckled. “Careful, my love. I am beginning to think you care.”

Before their banter could go any further, the large wooden door opened and Iroh walked into the room, followed closely by two guards. Like a dutiful son about to inherit, Qiang jumped to his feet and stood at attention, finishing with a low bow of respect as was custom in the royal circle. Following his lead, Azula kowtowed before the Fire Lord and prayed to Agni for a quick end to this charade. Perhaps she would keep the old man alive for kicks. After all, torture was so much more rewarding.

“You did not send word of your arrival,” Iroh chastised, huffing as he plopped down on the pillows across the table from them.

Azula smirked behind her veil. Her uncle looked feeble and old, worn down by grief. However, she would not underestimate the guards who flanked him.

“If you had sent word, I would have arranged a feast in your honor,” the faux Fire Lord continued to voice his displeasure over the obvious disregard his successor held for Fire Nation customs. “The Nation still mourns the passing of my nephew and his wife. I have not yet announced your ascension to the throne. I wanted to discuss certain matters with you before we formalized the order of succession.”

Folding his hands upon the table, Qiang leaned forward. “I’ve heard rumors that my rightful place among the halls of Agni has been challenged. Your concubine is with child.”

Watching the exchange, Azula smirked as she witnessed the glimmer of surprise in her uncle’s eyes and knew a truth had been revealed.

“You are mistaken,” answered Iroh softly. “I have no concubine. I am much too old to partake of the flesh.”

“You are in your sixties, My Lord,” Qiang replied with high flattery. “That is middle-aged for one with abilities such as yours. You have a long life ahead of you.”

“Which means you will have to wait to ascend the throne,” Iroh countered quickly, bringing Qiang to task. “Once I am gone, you will take your place, but there are other things we need to discuss –”

“Such a morose topic.” The heir to the throne bowed his head. Qiang toyed with his cup as if going to drink from it, but Azula knew he wouldn’t.

Slamming his fist on the table, Iroh glared at the younger man. He said nothing, but his anger was evident. Qiang’s attempts at flattery would not sway the Fire Lord.

“Please forgive me,” Qiang entreated. “I did not mean to interrupt you.”

Clearing his throat, Iroh stared at the heavy veils that covered Qiang’s concubine. “I have received disturbing reports… reports of unprovoked raids against defenseless villages… reports that implicate the Fire Nation!”

Qiang shrugged his shoulders. “Has anything been done to find those responsible?”

Iroh slammed his fist on the table again. “You were sloppy, Qiang! There are witnesses! How dare you try to discredit my nephew’s reign! How dare you implicate my nation in these acts of cowardice –”

“Strategy!” growled Qiang, quickly regretting his outburst of temper and looking down at his cup. “Let us not argue. It is time to celebrate!”

Iroh looked upon him as though he was crazy.

“I bring the Fire Nation a great gift.” Qiang nodded toward the veiled woman. “I bring a long-lost daughter back to her nation.

Pulling the suffocating materials from her face and head, Azula did her best at imitating tears and looked across the table at her uncle. “Hello Uncle. As you can see, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

“So have mine,” a harsh voice announced behind the faceplate of the guard to Iroh’s right. Pulling the faceplate away, Zuko revealed his identity and took a deep breath.

Azula’s shrewd brown eyes darted around the room and rested on the other “guard” who was also removing the face mask from his uniform.

“I should have known,” she hissed, glaring at Aang. Her glare settled on her lover as if to say “I told you so.”

“There is no escape, Azula,” Iroh challenged softly.

“Well played, General Iroh.” Qiang clapped slowly, his inflection bitter and mocking. “And just what are we supposed to escape from? We are not prisoners. We are guests.”

“You are murderers,” the Avatar growled lowly, his voice adopting a menacing tone.

Qiang waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. “Prove it. I am an Earth Kingdom general. Keep me against my will…against your own laws… and war will follow. Azula is my concubine and rightful heir to the throne of Ozai. You walk a fine line. I have troops scattered throughout the capital waiting on my command. War is breathing down your neck and the peace you have fostered for so long is crumbling at your fingertips. Firebenders are so arrogant. They never consider the ground they walk on.”

Azula’s eyes widened as Qiang stood. Troops? Did he consider his advisors part of the “troops?” In addition to his two advisors, there were possibly twenty loyal men under his command – and only three of them were Earthbenders, hardly enough to do any real damage. She glanced at Iroh and schooled her features before she ruined Qiang’s bluff.

A large shadow moved from behind the thin paper wall as the door slid open.

“I have heard enough,” the Earth Kingdom princess sighed heavily, glaring at Qiang with contempt. “Since Qiang is a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, I request that he be remanded into my custody. He will have a public trial and execution. Hopefully his blood will heal the rift between our nations. I request Azula of the Fire Nation be remanded into my custody as well. She will stand trial, as well.”

“She is innocent!” Qiang insisted. “A spoil of war – rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne!”

Iroh’s eyes narrowed. “MY NEPHEW’S throne is no spoil of war, Qiang! You should do a better job of coaching your partner when you play Pai Sho. As for your claims about troops around the city… I am willing to see what will happen.”

“Innocent?” Zuko scoffed.

Azula was quick and decisive, jumping to her feet and hurling a wall of flames in a semi-circle around her. The paper-like walls were the perfect kindling to spread chaos and disaster. Smoke curled around every space and occupant, squeezing air like a serpent with its prey.

There was a loud crack as earth smashed through the flooring of the first and second floor of the room, compromising the very foundation of that section of the palace.

Scuttling along the floor, she searched for Qiang and dodged the screams and calls to apprehend them. A vise surrounded her ankle and she could not see, but she knew it was Qiang. Charred wood scraped against the flesh of her calf and thigh and a hard body pressed her against the floor.

“Run!” Qiang hissed over the sound of the flames. “Run as fast as you can. Don’t look back.”

His words sounded finite and defeated. Her instinct dictated that she flee, but something else wanted to stay by his side. Before she could answer him, she felt herself falling. Azula rolled along the earthen column, a victim to the law of gravity, but a victor nonetheless. Slightly winded, she followed her lover’s instructions and took off running.

--

A great vortex of wind swept through the room, the thick gray smoke yielding and revealing the chaos Azula had caused. Iroh coughed, moving off Princess Wan, who he had moved to protect. Aang stood over the conquered Earth Kingdom general, driving his staff beneath the man’s chin. The icicles he had managed to create from the nearby pitcher of water were wedged into the man’s left calf and thigh.

Aang looked around the room again. “Where’s Zuko?”

“I’m down here!” Zuko chuffed, climbing the pillar of rock that stuck through the two floors. As he reached the second floor, he held his side, which was bleeding profusely. He knelt down as if the burden of his own weight was too great. Slamming his bloodied fist on the floor, he cursed. “She’s gone!”

Kneeling next to his nephew, Iroh tended to his injury.

Cold, cruel laughter filled the room. “I should have listened to her,” Qiang rasped in pain.

“She said it was a trap.” He winced as the Avatar twisted the end of his staff into his neck.

“She won’t go far,” Zuko surmised. “We still have him.”

Qiang’s laughter grew louder. “She won’t come back for me! She will retaliate. She will burn this nation to the ground. She will hunt the ones you care for. Azula is relentless. She is a survivor.”

The injured man’s eyes settled on Zuko. Qiang winced as the ice in his leg started to melt. “It’s a race now. Where will she go first? Who will she kill first? Your wife?”

Zuko glared at him.

“Your pregnant concubine?” Qiang glanced at Iroh.

“Or the so called witness?” he asked, staring up at Aang with a malicious grin.

--

TBC

A/N – Many thanks to Moncapitan who rode my ass to finish this chapter. Without his constant encouragement, it wouldn’t have gotten done. This story has taken some interesting twist and turns. I had intended to have a really big duel and kill Qiang and Azula, but MC pleaded for Azula’s life and I listened.

Anyway, the surgery went well. I get my stitches out tomorrow. After that, I have another week of recovery. Yee hah!
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The Price of Peace