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A Cursed Blessing	By : Yaoiandcoffeeaddict Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 6940 -:- 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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DISCOVERING NEW ASPECTS OF ONESELF

Long Feng smiled as the sweet taste of strawberry and fresh-baked dough melted on his tongue and mixed with the strong taste of his morning tea as he read over the newest reports. There was the usual report of murmurs of the war in the middle ring and the number of refugees that had poured into the city in the last week. There were few reports among the scattered scrolls that demanded attention. The Avatar was still distracted from meeting King Kuei by his search for his bison, which had recently come into Dai Li possession. If Avatar Aang became too much of a problem, he would use the Avatar's love for the disgusting animal against him.

The boy who had attacked Prince Zuko had been released late last night following extensive memory alteration. Long Feng himself had personally ensured the boy would be lucky if he so much as remembered his own name and, in case of any recovery, the young man had been relocated to an area between the middle and inner rings completely under Dai Li control where he would work for a nobleman. Any sign of the boy behaving strangely and he would be evicted from the city, Fire Nation at the walls or not.

As for the Prince and his Uncle, it appeared as if the two would not be a problem. Their appearance in Ba Sing Se at a time when the truth of war with the Fire Nation threatened to spill into the court was truly a gift from the spirits. With two Fire Nation royals, one of whom was a Blessed One, under the roof of the palace, no one would take such 'rumors' seriously. Clearly, his ancestors were pleased with the work he was doing in Ba Sing Se as everything was going his way.

As he raised the delicate cup of tea to his lips and signed the last report, the roar of the king's bear at the entrance of his office door startled him into spitting some of the delicious liquid across the important scroll. Heart pounding slightly in his ears, Long Feng lowered his cup as dignified as he could after such a disgusting act to its saucer before rising to greet the Earth King. "Greetings, Your Highness, forgive me for my display. I was unprepared for your visit."

The Earth King ignored his formality as he petted his bear's large head. "Long Feng, you should have been expecting me."

"I… I do not understand, Your Majesty, did we have an appointment?" Long Feng asked, slightly confused for several moments before suspicion that some rumor had reached the king. Now he had to discover which one fast while continuing to act confused.

"We did not, but since when does a King need an appointment to see his advisor?" King Kuei asked as he approached the large chair at Long Feng's desk and reclined into the plush green padding.

Long Feng's heart rate increased. "Of course an appointment is unnecessary, but why else would I be expecting you, Your Highness?" The bear roared at him, making Long Feng feel slightly uneasy though he retained his mask of confusion.

"Are you sure there is nothing I should know about, Advisor Long Feng?" Kuei pressed, his tone and expression obviously telling Long Feng he was expecting a specific answer. For the first time in Long Feng's entire career the King's presence was imposing.

"Your Highness, there are so many trivial matters that I attend to on a daily basis, perhaps you can give me a hint?" Long Feng suggested, his voice cracking slightly.

"You consider my engagement a 'trivial task'?" Kuei asked, sounding confused, angry and suspicious.

"Your…" It was then that Long Feng had realized Kuei had found out about Prince Zuko's presence before being properly informed. Dear spirits, the King was in full right to dismiss Long Feng for withholding important information. "Forgive me, Your Highness, I did not seek to inform you of the candidate for your spouse until he had recovered from his illness and had proven able to bear the future king of Ba Sing Se."

"Illness?" Kuei asked, the anger and suspicion vanishing completely.

"Yes, Your Grace," Long Feng replied as he resumed his place in his own chair. Putting on his most sympathetic face, he offered the Earth King a cup of tea as he spun the half-truth in his head. The Earth King refused as he shifted his weight in the large chair. Once the Earth King and his bear were settled, Long Feng began his tale.

"You fiancé, Prince Zuko, was born in the Fire Nation and the Fire Nation's culture, as you know, is different in their treatment of the Blessed Ones. The royal family considers their presence a dishonor and a curse. Blessed Ones born to the royal family are known to commit suicide. Those that do not are exiled or imprisoned." Long Feng observed the empathetic expressions play on the Earth King's face before continuing. "According to my information, Prince Zuko's father upon discovering blood on the Prince's sheets and thighs offered him a blade. When Prince Zuko refused the offer, he was dragged before the court and burned for bringing dishonor on his house. He was then imprisoned simply for having his amazing gift."

Kuei's face was a web of emotion and Long Feng delighted in how easily he was able to distract the king from his error and reinforce trust. Then worry surpassed all other emotion on Kuei's face, "You said my fiancé was ill?"

"Yes, my King. Prince Zuko's uncle, Prince Iroh, could not bear his beloved nephew to live the rest of his life in a dungeon and assisted in his escape soon after his imprisonment. Unfortunately, although the pair were able to make their way by boat to the Earth Kingdom, their life here was initially very hard and Prince Iroh found himself struggling to provide food to himself and his nephew. This struggle was further exaggerated as Prince Zuko had a hard time adjusting to the food of a peasant and was not obtaining the nutrition his body needed. It was this malnutrition which has stopped his bleeding."

"Now that I think about it, his skin had an unnatural paleness to it and his cheeks were hallow," Kuei commented sadly.

The statement shook Long Feng to the core. "You have seen Prince Zuko, Your Majesty?"

Kuei smiled slightly, eyes lifting away from Long Feng to an image within his mind as his smile deepened. "I have. He is beautiful even with that awful scar and hair." Bosco gave a slight nudge of his head against the King's leg in encouragement. "I had assumed the facial scarring to be an accident. But now that I know differently, I know he will be a strong companion and ruler to survive so much." Bosco yawned, the baring of the bear's teeth making Long Feng somewhat uncomfortable. Long Feng shrugged the feeling off and raised the cooled liquid to his lips. "But what I will value most is his honesty. It is so rare to find someone who communicates their feelings without the double-talk of the court."

Long Feng nearly choked on his tea. "His honesty? You have talked with the young man then?"

The Earth King's lips curved into a fond smile. "Yes. He had been sunbathing in the private courtyard. Bosco liked him as well."

Long Feng would have to ensure one of the Dai Li was with the brat from now on. He had to know what was being said between the two at this critical stage.

"I consent to the engagement," the Earth King said with a wide smile, just as a servant girl walked in to retrieve Long Feng's empty dishes.

"Your Highness," she acknowledged with a bowed figure before retrieving the empty teapot on the dark wooden desk.

The Earth King waved her off, unconcerned with her presence. "When will we be able to officially announce the news to my court?" he asked as the servant girl retreated.

"As soon as the Prince demonstrates he is recovering from his malnutrition, My King," Long Feng replied with a tight smile. He knew with the way servants gossip, the news of the Earth King's engagement would be unofficially throughout the court by that night.

The Earth King nodded. "On that day, we shall have a special dinner to celebrate the engagement." The King paused, as a thought obviously occurred to him. "Perhaps we should actually have a festival so that all of Ba Sing Se may join in toasting to the future heirs of our great kingdom?"

Long Feng was startled by this unexpected announcement. The Earth King had never before concerned himself with those outside of court and had never even felt the need to venture outside the palace. "Do…do you think that wise, Your Majesty? After all, the people of Ba Sing Se have not had such a festival since the days of King Gui."

The Earth King's gaze narrowed. "Is there a problem, Long Feng?" The bear raised its head and stared at Long Feng threateningly.

"No, Your Majesty," Long Feng quickly replied, "A festival of that scale you suggest is just slightly unorthodox and will take weeks to plan and prepare as our custom dictates…"

"Then why not begin now?" the Earth King asked, fingers petting Bosco's soft brown ear. Long Feng had no choice but to agree.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A far-off thumping noise invaded the throbbing brain of the individual passed out on the rough brown sheets of an old hay-stuffed futon. The boy moaned softly in discomfort and buried his disheveled head in his arms, praying whatever the sound was would stop soon.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMP

The sound grew louder and more anxious. The figure on the futon attempted to ignore the ruckus once again, only to find it would not cease when it repeated with a muffled voice following soon after. Reluctant brown eyes snapped open only to begin to blink slowly in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Daylight was streaming in through cracks in ancient wooden shutters that were on their last legs. The strips of light created by the shutters illuminated the aged wood of the dirt-covered floor. A small, round and warped mirror hung above a leaking sink. The only other moveable object in the room besides the mirror and futon was the pristine wooden dresser in the corner which was out of place in the sea of decrepit furniture.

Suddenly, a clicking sound alerted the figure of another's entrance. An older woman dressed in a simple green robe was soon standing by his head, wrinkled and gnawed hands on bony hips as deep green eyes glared angrily down at him. "BOY! It's the first of the month and I havena seen a copper! If you wanna to continue to live in this apartment, you're gonna have ta pay up!"

For several moments Jet just stared up at her winkled face in confusion. "Huh?"

"Ya been drinkin' again, Boy? And why aren't you at work earning the rent? That noble boss o' yours aint gonna be happy. If you get fired because of your drunken ways, I'll have no problem throwin' you out!"

Jet kept blinking his eyes as though the act would cause the woman to disappear and the throbbing in the back of his head to subside.

It didn't work.

"Well? Are you getting dressed or what?"

"Uh…"

The old woman walked to the dresser and pulled out some neatly pressed dark green uniform and threw the stiff material at him. He easily caught it. "Lord Mori is probably waiting for you to run his errands. I suggest ya hurry up."

The old woman then turned on her heel and left him to the silence of the room.

Zuko obediently followed the irritating Joo Dee down the hallway, concentrating on not tripping over the delicately decorated soft green kimono's long length in the unfamiliar wedged wooden sandals. Though the shoes were cushioned on the bottom and at the toes, the new type of pinching between his toes was highly uncomfortable and he found himself stumbling several times. On top of that, Zuko kept feeling like someone in the shadows was watching him. At least Uncle's presence at his side was strangely comforting although the old man was constantly leaning over and asking if he was alright. After reassuring Iroh for the third time in ten minutes that he was fine, Zuko asked, "Are we almost there?"

Joo Dee never lost that annoying smile, "Yes, Prince Zuko, we are almost at the destination for today's lesson. Though, I now know we have to work on walking and talking with the grace expected of the Earth Kingdom's Queen. One must always be polite even in impolite company."

Zuko heard the underlying insult in that statement and truly wanted in that moment to wrap his hands around her slender throat. Like the woman would truly do better than him walking half a mile in such shoes with an outfit like the one she'd forced him to wear for the first time.

"Ah, here we are," Joo Dee announced as she came to a halt at a light-colored wooden door and knocked. For several moments there was silence and then a soft bubble of laughter drifted past the timber barrier before an elderly manservant granted them entrance.

The trio was led to an open reception area where a beautiful being with long black hair and peanut-butter skin awaited them, flanked by two male children with plainer features as the figure held some type of bundle in their arms. At first the being was busy scolding one of the children before they noticed the new presence. When they had at last realized they were not alone, the being stood and bowed slightly to them. "Welcome," came the surprisingly male voice from the pretty creature. "Please make yourself at home."

When the visiting party sat down, so did the host and it was then that the semi-flat chest, bump of the person's throat was evident, and slightly round stomach was better noted. Zuko was startled to note what this implied. This was another Blessed One and the blanket held a baby. Zuko found himself instantly uncomfortable.

Joo Dee did not seem to notice Zuko had tensed. She simply smiled and poured herself a cup of tea from the selection on the side table at the host's offer. "Prince Zuko, Lord Fei Long is a distant relative of our great Earth King. He has offered at Long Feng's request to teach you some basics of child care so that you will be well prepared in the art by the time your first child comes. In any case, the future of our Kingdom will depend on your ability to care for your child, My Prince."

Zuko wanted to retreat into a hole and die right then. He hadn't experienced the full shame of what he was and what his future role was until then, when he was confronted with someone who represented his future. He relaxed only slightly when Uncle laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Fei Long seemed to note Zuko's uneasiness and suggested, "Perhaps we should have this lesson another time?"

Joo Dee's smile miraculously vanished. "No." The tone Joo Dee had taken then was odd. "That will put Prince Zuko's training schedule behind."

Fei Long gave Zuko an apologetic glance as the eldest of the children noticed the guests and placed his land over his right eye in question of the mark on Zuko's left eye. "Very well," he agreed. "Prince Zuko, perhaps you should come sit by me. It will make this lesson slightly easier."

Zuko initially made no move to comply.

"Mama, why his face like that?" the eldest child asked, distracting everyone momentarily as the five-year-old boy continued to mirror the mark. Even Joo Dee froze at the innocent question.

"Jonu, that is very, very rude," Fei Long scolded. "Apologize."

"Sorry Mama," the boy said. "But why is his face like that?"

"It is alright," Zuko replied, surprising even himself at his response. "Jonu just does not understand my injury. I know he does not mean any harm."

"Injury, Prince Zook?" the boy repeated as he dared to jump of the couch where his birth parent was sitting and walking to where Zuko sat. "What you mean?"

Zuko was unsure how to answer the question in a way the child would understand. "Have you ever fallen down while playing and had a mark show on you later?"

"Yes," the little boy replied as he placed one tiny hand on Zuko's knee. "I fell down once and made a real bad mark on my chin. Did you fall down, Prince Zook?"

Zuko figured he should simplify what happened. "No. But you could say someone pushed me down and that's why my face has a mark."

"But that's so mean!" the little boy said before climbing into Zuko's lap unexpectedly and placing a hesitant hand on the scar tissue. Big green eyes gazed into his with sadness. "Does it hurt?"

Zuko was taken back by the child's boldness, "Not anymore." Zuko could see Uncle's teary smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Good," the boy said before kissing the corner of Zuko's eye. "Now it will be all better!" the boy said with a smile.

The room was completely silent as everyone waited to see Zuko's reaction. "Uh…" he blinked rapidly. "Yeah. All better."

The boy soon became bored with the company and wandered off, his other sibling following him.

For several moments no one spoke until Joo Dee commented, "You appear to be a natural at dealing with young children, My Prince."

Zuko gave her a look of utter disbelief. He could hear his Uncle choking slightly on his laughter. There was something so wrong about this entire situation. He could not wait to retreat to the courtyard after this was over and forget all about it.

[One Week Later]

Sokka perused the wares of the merchant with hungry eyes for the new, shiny weapons. He was fingering one elaborately designed sword when a whisper caught his attention.

"…engaged to a Prince of the Fire Nation!"

The sword dropped with a clank on his toe. "Yoooccch!"

"Hey! You break it, you bought it, Pony-tail!"

TBC

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A Cursed Blessing