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A Cursed Blessing	By : Yaoiandcoffeeaddict Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 6939 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar Last Airbender or profit from this story... damn.

Chapter List
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NEW LIVES

Zuko clutched the blanket tighter around himself, shivering slightly as his body woke from his dreamless state. As he blinked at the darkness of the room, he thought it was strange that he was awake so early in the morning. Normally, the sun hitting his eyes in their small apartment would signal the start of his day just before his uncle began cooking breakfast before they headed to the shop. Yawning slightly, he pushed the blanket back to his waist and sat up on his unusually comfy mat and stretched his upper back as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room.

Suddenly, he caught a glimmer of something in the room and gradually the image of a badger carving on the wall emerged. Curious, he ignited a small flame in his hand. Then other elements in the room revealed themselves to him- the jade-colored walls with gold sculptures, the silk on the large bed, the two sliding doors embellished with an image of a sexless royal couple in deep green. It was then that the memory of the previous day flooded into him as he extinguished the flame. Overwhelmed at the realization of where he was and why, Zuko stumbled out of the bed and fell in a tangled lump of blanket on the tiled floor.

Desperately, he twisted his body free of the sheet's grip and, ignoring the pain in his belly, ran to the doors, pushing them aside with a cry of "Uncle!"

A small window lit the lounge he stumbled into revealing the elegantly carved furniture and table as well as the closed doors. Unfamiliar with any of it, Zuko's panic increased as some paranoid part of his mind said he'd been abandoned by family again. "Uncle!"

His heart was thundering in his ears as his mind replayed the last time he'd woken in an unfamiliar structure just after the Agni Kai and being told by his uncle that his father had disowned him until he found the avatar. What if his uncle had been taken away from him or abandoned him?

A hazy memory of last night suddenly came into him mind. 'We'll talk in the morning,' his uncle had said. His uncle wouldn't abandon him willingly. What if the Dai Li found out Jet was telling the truth?

"Zuko?" came the gravelly reply. Relief flooded Zuko as he turned to see his uncle in an unfamiliar slightly wrinkled green robe with the insignia of Ba Sing Se across his chest, the deep green sash creating rolls of material on his uncle's round stomach.

The first thought that came to Zuko's mind was that his uncle looked stranger than usual. Then reality set in. This place, his uncle's outfit… "It wasn't a dream," he whispered sadly.

His uncle sighed. "Unfortunately it was not, Prince Zuko." His uncle's slippers barely created any noise on the light green patterned tiles of the room as he advanced on him, gentle hands leading him to a comfortable chair at the table. "Sit, Nephew. You probably should not be on your feet so early. I will ask the guards to bring some breakfast." Without waiting for a reply, Iroh had left him sitting stiffly at the table as he opened and walked out the largest door in the room.

Zuko listened to the muffled conversation as his mind tried to process what was happening, emotions swirling and battling each other inside of him. The fact that their lives had changed overnight meant the Dai Li knew what he was, that they knew of his shame and his failure as a 'Blessed One.' If he was still a Fire Nation citizen, he should have taken his own life to keep his honor. But he had no honor and he was listed as a traitor to the Fire Nation, so it would serve no purpose. Or maybe he was too much of a coward to do it. He was disgusted with himself.

He heard the door open again and guilt overwhelmed him. Uncle would be devastated if he took his life. He could never do that to him.

"Prince Zuko, how are you feeling?" came the concerned question as his Uncle took a seat across from him at the table.

"Fine, Uncle," he lied, his gaze on the wood grain.

"You could never lie to me, Nephew. I've known you since you were born." Uncle fidgeted slightly, indicating to Zuko that Iroh was preventing himself from reaching out to comfort him. "I know the past day's events have been overwhelming."

Zuko didn't respond, not willing to express his feelings anymore than he did last night. Even that had been a mistake. He should not have burdened his Uncle anymore than he already had.

After a few minutes passed, Iroh said, "There is another matter we must discuss Zuko…" His voice trailed off as expressionless servants entered the room carrying a small banquet on gold trays. Each traditional dish was laid out artfully and meticulously on the table. After each dish had been placed correctly, all four servants bowed. They spun on their heels and quietly retreated from the room. With such a display, Zuko couldn't help but feel something was off. Was this how Ba Sing Se treated all people like himself?

Iroh seated the cloth napkin on his own lap before reaching for Zuko's empty bowl and loading it with Jook and sliced fish. "Eat this nephew. It will help you rebuild your strength."

Zuko made no move to eat when Iroh set Zuko's bowl back on his plate before filling his own. Although his stomach was growling, Zuko didn't think he could digest anything. "Uncle, you said you needed to tell me something?"

Iroh's chopsticks froze over the seaweed. "Oh yes…" Iroh went silent, his expression indicating to Zuko that his uncle was thinking of the best way to broach a subject. "Did you know that seaweed is very good for the skin? You should have a few pieces with the…"

"Uncle, just tell me," Zuko interrupted.

Iroh sighed. "Very well." Iroh set his chopsticks down before meeting Zuko's gaze, his defeated and sympathetic expression much like the one he had when Zuko had woken after the Agni Kai and Iroh told his nephew he had been banished. "The Dai Li know who we are Zuko."

Whatever Zuko had expected Iroh to say, it was not that. "Then why are we not in a prison cell, Uncle?" he asked confused.

His uncle was silent for several moments as Iroh stared at him and a sinking feeling fell in Zuko's stomach.

"What do they want with me, Uncle?"

"Zuko, please eat something."

"What do they want with me, Uncle?" Zuko repeated, growing frustrated as his uncle avoided the question.

Iroh sighed. "There is a reason why only nobles or those with special passes are allowed to move in certain sections of the city and the Dai Li's control grows tighter towards the center of the city. For the past hundred years, the leaders of the Dai Li have denied the existence of the Fire Nation's invasion of the three other nations."

Anxiety began easing from Zuko's body. "So that is why we are not in prison?"

Uncle took of the cooling tea in his cup before answering him. "Yes… in part."

Dread crept back into Zuko's stomach like a bad case of food poisoning. "There's more."

"Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li, plans to use you to reinforce the illusion." His uncle's gaze locked with his before saying his next sentence, "Nephew, he has betrothed you to the Earth King."

Before he even realized he had done it, Zuko had jumped out of his seat and shouted, "WHAT!" The chair had fallen backwards with a loud slap on the dark-brown floor. "I'M NOT MARRYING THE EARTH KING!"

Iroh soon gently stood from his own seat and closed the space between them before laying a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder which Zuko shrugged off, anger and betrayal morphing his mother's features into an eerie resemblance of Iroh's brother. "Prince Zuko, think rationally about this. You will no longer have to hide who you are. Here, you will be able to be called by your real name. Your husband…"

"I can't believe you would agree to this Uncle!" Zuko ignored the pain in his body and crossed the room as fast as his weary body would allow him to, muscles tensing in preparation to fight the guards out of the room if necessary. He needed air.

As large as he was, Iroh moved very quickly. He was between his nephew and the large door faster than a fire-bending master could summon a basic flame. "Just where do you think you are going, Prince Zuko?" he asked, his voice taking on the stern tone Iroh only used when Zuko was going to do something incredibly stupid. "Even if you were able to escape the palace, you would have to leave the city and then what? All of the other major Earth Kingdom cities and a majority of the smaller villages are under Fire Nation control with the number of villages increasing each day. If the Fire Nation soldiers caught you, you would be killed painlessly outright if best, raped and tortured to death at worst."

Iroh's hands came up to grab Zuko's forearms in a death grip. "But here, Nephew, you can have a good life. You can live without fear of having to worry when you will next be able to eat or if you can find a supply of fresh water. All your needs will be met. You can build real relationships with future friends and your husband. And, even if you do not fall in love with your husband, you can have children here that will love you." Iroh shook him when Zuko tried to break the grip. "Do you understand, Prince Zuko? You can have a life here! And life is always better than death. I will not lose you to this war as well!"

Zuko was silent for several moments as he stared at Iroh, anger slowly leaving him at the desperation on Iroh's face. He knew Iroh was right but it did not erase the feeling of betrayal instantly. Before he could open his mouth, the door opened and a middle aged man that looked vaguely familiar fill the entrance way. Iroh loosened his grip, keeping only one hand loosely on Zuko's wrist after he turned to face the newcomer.

"Ah, I see you have made a quick recovery Prince Zuko," the middle aged man said, a kind smile on his face that looked out of place. There was a certain air to this man that reeked of extreme arrogance that only came from a person polluted by power. "My name is Long Feng and I am the cultural advisor to the Earth King."

Zuko said nothing, refusing to give the man who wanted to use him as a puppet the satisfaction.

The smile tightened on Long Feng's face. "I trust General Iroh has informed you of your happy betrothal?"

"Yes," Zuko answered curtly causing Long Feng's smile to vanish and be replaced by a cold, calculating look.

"I see you will need to be taught some manners before you have the honor of meeting your husband," Long Feng said coldly.

Iroh's hands tightened on his nephew's wrist before the round man subtly shifted Zuko backwards, just a few millimeters away so he was out of Long Feng's reach if need be. "Please forgive my Nephew. His hormones are still out of balance."

Zuko inwardly cursed himself and his uncle's openness as he felt his anger drain into embarrassment.

"Hormones or not, Ba Sing Se's nobility follow a code of conduct. I will tell the etiquette instructor to start from the basics. Now, may I come in? We have much to discuss."

"Of course," Iroh politely replied as he gently nudged the reluctant Zuko and himself backwards until Long Feng was able to enter. The large door closed with a solid thud against its frame and Zuko could not help but associate the sound with the thud of bars locking a cell.

Long Feng made himself comfortable and seated himself at an empty chair at the table and poured himself a cup of the warm tea. "Ah, Jasmine tea." The calculating gaze shifted to Zuko's standing form, making him uncomfortable as the government official dissected him with his eyes. "Have eaten yet, Prince Zuko?"

When Zuko said nothing, his uncle answered for him, "No, he has not."

"In that case, Prince Zuko come sit down and eat. It will allow me to evaluate your table manners while we have our discussion and you are far too thin."

Zuko allowed his uncle to gently nudge him back to his chair before his uncle reclaimed his own. At first, Zuko planned to defiantly pick at the food but when the smell hit Zuko once again, his stomach betrayed him with a soft growl. Inwardly cursing himself, Zuko caved into his hunger and ate. Zuko felt the weight of the middle-aged man's eyes on him as he slowly ate the warm bowl of rice porridge, the cinnamon sugar flavoring the rice that he had not enjoyed in years comforting him as he was scrutinized.

"At least your table manners befit those of a noble," Long Feng commented as he poured himself another cup of tea from his seat next to Iroh. "It is a start."

Iroh obviously sensed that Zuko was itching to throw a tea cup at Long Feng's head because he quickly diverted Long Feng's attention. "I assume you have come here to inform us of Ba Sing Se's code of conduct?" Iroh asked.

"Of course," Long Feng replied, "I am also here to ensure you are enjoying the accommodations." The leader of the Dai Li took a sip of his tea and Zuko was struck by the irony of how much the two older men resembled friends enjoying tea while swapping stories instead of the darker reality.

"The rooms are very comfortable, thank you," Iroh answered as he poured himself another cup of tea. From the steam, Zuko knew his uncle had used his fire-bending to reheat his tea. "But may I ask if I can retrieve our belongings from our apartment?"

"Your things will be collected and delivered by tonight," Long Feng promised. "Now, I believe we should discuss…" Zuko tuned a majority of Long Feng's 'code of conduct' out since it was mostly common sense, choosing instead to focus on his food. He picked up a piece of seaweed from the pile with his chopsticks and dunked some in his jook and savored the tart taste of the seaweed mixed with the sweet taste of the flavored jook until he heard Long Feng say, "… of course, if these guidelines are not followed, there will be consequences."

"Consequences?" Zuko repeated.

"Yes, Prince Zuko. Although as a Blessed One you are protected by Ba Sing Se law and as such you will not be removed from the palace, you will still face consequences if you do not comply with my instructions. Depending on the offense, the consequences can range from you being locked in your room by my men to your Uncle being in my 'care' for an extended amount of time."

Zuko turned to his uncle, only to discover his blank expression. He knew about this! "But you said I was protected by law!" Zuko protested, sick at the thought of what this man would do to his uncle because of him.

"Correct. You are protected by law. General Iroh, however, is not," Long Feng stated in a trivial manner as though he were remarking on the weather. The despicable man took another sip of his tea. "Of course, if you follow my rules, you should not have to worry about such an event, correct?"

A knock came at the door.

"Ah, that would be the tailor," Long Feng informed them as he rose from his chair. "I will leave you to be measured while I go find the young prince's etiquette instructor Joo Dee. She will begin your lessons after the noon meal."

Zuko had never liked tailors. Since he was a child, all of them had poked, pulled, and stuck him as they draped bolts of reds and oranges around him to see which shade complemented his skin tone the best. This was no different, only the fabric's colors had shifted to greens and shades of gold. After what seemed like an eternity, the tailor had finally declared that a soft golden color should be used for his wedding robes and his every day clothes should be the darkest greens to bring out the fairness of his (undamaged) skin and the gold of his eyes. Thankfully, the visit from the tailor also meant he was brought a simple, untailored outfit that he would wear that day instead of the wrinkled night-robe.

As soon as the tailor left, it was time for the noon meal. Not really knowing what to say to his uncle, he ate his meal in silence. As soon as he laid down his utensils, the instructor was at the door. Joo Dee turned out to be a woman in her thirties with a smile that was perpetually stuck on her face. The first half an hour was spent with her telling him what an honor it was to teach the future husband of the Earth King and telling him how exotic his looks were.

When he could take no more, Uncle stepped in and she finally began his lessons. Or perhaps he should say lesson since the next two hours were on the etiquette of a Ba Sing Se tea party- how one was to sit, what tone one was to use, when to use what utensils, where to place the tea cup, how to hold the tea cup, how to thank the host, etc. While his uncle, of course, had thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, Zuko wanted to ban tea from his presence forever. He was physically and mentally exhausted.

Knowing Zuko would not be able to take much more, Iroh had suggested that he get some fresh air and directed him to the small inner courtyard after thanking the instructor.

Zuko finally breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the courtyard. It was small for a royal courtyard, about fifty square meters but beautiful. A stone walkway lined with varying types of trees illustrating the path from Zuko's suite to a small pond in the exact shape of the pond back ho… at the Fire Nation palace. Zuko pushed such thoughts out of his mind. He didn't need to make himself feel worse then he already did. Picking a sunny spot by the pond, he laid down on the soft grass, folded his hands behind his head and enjoyed the feel of the sun on his skin while drifting off to sleep.

"Rrrrawhhh."

A rumbling sound by his ear jerked him out of his nap. Thinking maybe he was hearing things, he tried to return back to sleep only to have the sun blocked before something nuzzled him. "Rrrrawhhh." Snapping his eyes open, Zuko found a large, unknown animal in front of his face. He stayed perfectly still as the animal sniffed him, hoping it would soon become bored and move on.

"Bosco!" The animal pulled away from him and turned its attention towards the call. As silently as he could, Zuko moved away from it. "Bosco, where are you!"

"Rrrrawhhh."

Zuko slowly sat up and attempted to stand only to have the animal's attention return to him. "Rrrrrrawwwhhh." Zuko was quickly and roughly pinned on the ground. An involuntary whimper escaped Zuko as he felt a large paw press down on his sore stomach before the animal moved it and returned to nuzzling him as if to apologize.

"Bosco?" came an urgent voice. "Oh, I see you've found a friend."

"Rrr."

"Can you get this animal off of me, please?" Zuko asked, his attention focused on the animal who had decided that Zuko made a nice pillow and was laying its large head on him.

"Bosco, off!" came the command. A moment later, the creature left him and Zuko once again rose to his feet. Turning to see who the animal belonged to, Zuko found himself looking at a plain man in his late twenties dressed in fine clothing and adoringly petting the strange animal. "I'm sorry about that. When Bosco really likes someone he tends to treat them like a cub and forgets his si…." The man's voice trailed off as his eyes met Zuko's. The man adjusted the glasses on his narrow nose before asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Zuko answered shortly, realizing the man was staring at his scar. He brushed a few strands of grass from his clothes.

"You are not one of the servants and I have not seen you at court before," the man said, his muscles tensing slightly, "So, who are you and what are you doing in my private garden? I suggest you tell me soon before I call the Dai Li."

Zuko was surprised. Then why was there a glass door to this place? "I did not realize that this garden was private. There is a door in my suite that leads to this courtyard."

"The only other suite that has access to this courtyard is the Jade Suite," the man replied, his gaze narrowed in suspicion. "None one stays there but an Earth King's spouse and the spouse's immediate family."

"Well, according to Long Feng, I am to be the Earth King's spouse," Zuko said bitterly.

The man's face looked confused for several minutes before it softened. "You do not want to be the Earth King's spouse?"

"No, I don't," Zuko replied without thinking, then cursed himself for telling some random courtier such personal sentiment. The man would probably have his words circulating throughout the palace by the end of the day. Then again, something about the man's scholarly appearance gave Zuko the impression that he was the type that was more inclined to spend his time in the library researching than gossiping.

"May I ask why?" the man asked, surprising Zuko.

Zuko sighed and told him honestly, "Because I don't know the guy. Maybe I'll change my mind after I meet him." Zuko also did not want to be trapped in a loveless marriage like his parents. He'd already seen the damage such an arranged marriage could do, but he wasn't about to tell his life story to some stranger.

The man smiled. "Maybe," he agreed. "I'm sorry once again about Bosco's enthusiam."

"That's alright. I like animals," Zuko replied as Bosco came to him and Zuko's courage returned as he slowly pet him.

"Really?" the man said with a delighted smile. "Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners? My name is Kuei." The man bowed.

The man's smile was infectious and Zuko soon found himself smiling slightly at Kuei. "I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." His uncle was right, it was nice to call himself by his real name again. Then Zuko realized the sun had begun to set. Petting the strange animal one last time, he said. "It was nice chatting with you, Kuei, but I should get back to my uncle."

"Very well," Kuei sighed obviously slightly disappointed, "Good night, Prince Zuko."

"Good night, Kuei," Zuko replied politely before he walked the path back to his room.

The world was spinning and blurring into shapes of light and shadow. Stumbling through the darkness, Jet tried to get his bearings as some uniformed a****** pushed him through a dirt street until they reached a rundown building. "Your apartment is on the third floor, room 307," the uniformed officer grunted at him before leaving him to stumble up the stairs alone.

Somewhere nearby there was the sound of a large animal baying.

Jet stumbled again on a step, so he wisely sat down and waited for his eyesight to focus. Jet didn't remember drinking nor did he remember where exactly he was. Images were swirling together in his mind. A man and a woman locked in an embrace… the woman was screaming and he was running… there was a boy… no girl in armor pulling him by his sleeve away from a fire… there were faces of other children all in similar armor… there was a beautiful teenaged boy with a large scar beneath him… there was a kid with an arrow on his head and two siblings… he didn't know their names. Maybe he would in the morning.

Jet picked himself up again and began his seemingly endless trek to his apartment.

TBC

PlEaSe PLEASE please CoMmEnt
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A Cursed Blessing