I do not own anything that could get me sued. Thank you to my reviewers! You all motivate me to continuously think of my stories.

I am, despite my long hiatus between chapters, still alive. I still think of and plan story ideas in my free time, but writing it down into form takes more time than I usually have now. Thank you for reading and understanding despite the slow progress!

This is a shorter chapter. It has been lounging on my laptop for a while, but I just didn't want to upload it until it was finished. However, I figured you guys would appreciate something rather than nothing so here it is! I apologize for any mistakes you catch.

Part 1: Thief

The sun hung high at midday as Zuko walked past his grandfather's guards on his way into the Firelord's private courtyard. Neither specialized soldier gave him more than a passing glance; it had become routine again for the prince to visit now that his exhaustion from the Dragon's Tears were a fading memory. He allowed his feet to carry him, focusing on pulling off his extraneous layers of clothing as he always did for his private training sessions with his grandfather. For regular firebending practice, wearing the barest layers were traditional. Strenuous physical activity usually rendered clothing into a sweaty mess. But lately Zuko's lessons had comprised of simple meditation and testing of his newfound senses.

Well, perhaps "simple" wasn't quite the word to describe it.

Relearning how to firebend was not easy. It was like writing with his natural left hand after being taught otherwise for years. Often, Zuko wanted to slip back into old habits because he felt like a novice all over again, doing simple tasks and trying to master things children barely out of nursing were being taught. But the Firelord would not tolerate anything other than strict adherence to the relearning process. To Zuko's grandfather, true mastery of his natural inclination towards firebending would require careful nurturing and exploration. To rush it would most likely do more harm than good and even the young prince had to concede with that logic. Sometimes, when the weight of the nation and his duties didn't hang quite so heavy on him, it was even easy to enjoy how colorful the world seemed now that Zuko could so clearly taste the external flame around him.

But it seemed today's training would be different. As the prince approached the center of the courtyard, he saw that there was a new figure waiting for him beside the Firelord's own form. Zuko was curious. But he knew better and bowed first – forehead to the ground – before straightening and waiting for his grandfather's inevitable explanation.

"Prince Zuko," the Firelord nodded his head in greeting. "This is Heian. He is here to help with your firebending."

Zuko looked curiously at his grandfather. It had been an unspoken rule so far that his new training be kept secret. They were still in the learning stages and the Firelord had explained in phrases here and there that this method of firebending was still not common knowledge.

The young prince took a closer look at Heian. He appeared middle-aged with skin roughened by experience and a healed scar on his temple that must have been very impressive in its time. The man was carefully blank-faced, enough that Zuko could not quite tell what was on his mind. But Heian's rigid stance and poise told the prince that the man was either very comfortable with his body or was trained to be. Most noticeable though, were the bandages wrapped around his right arm with a splint keeping it stiffly place.

Heian bowed low in greeting, intoning, "It is an honor to meet you, Prince Zuko."

"Heian will be your sparring partner," the Firelord supplied. "We shall practice technique and refinement during our own private sessions, but true ownership of skill will only come with practice. Heian will spar with you every day of the week in addition to our lessons. Is this understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

Zuko's grandfather tilted his head at acknowledgement. "I expect you to maintain true to the new techniques, Prince Zuko. No deviations." Then, prince and his sparring partner were left to themselves as the Firelord exited the courtyard to return to his own duties of running the nation.

Now alone with Heian, Zuko glanced a little uncertainly at the older man. The truth was he had never had his own firebending sparring partner before. In the past the prince had practiced forms alone, told that he was too inconsistent to warrant his own personal spars. Only in practicing his swordsmanship or other non-bending techniques did he ever have somebody to practice with. So Zuko was slightly hesitant in beginning especially upon seeing Heian's bandaged arm.

The man must have seen the prince looking at the injury because a slight smile quirked his lips up. "No need to worry, prince. I have no doubt that one arm is more than enough for you."

Any sort of sympathy Zuko had felt for Heian was suddenly replaced with irritation. "Really? Maybe you're underestimating me."

"Believe me," Heian chuckled. "I'm not."

Flame came flying at Zuko before the other man had even finished speaking. The prince's eyes widened before sheer reflexes forced him to dodge. He gasped, once, before fire was arching towards him from the right and then he was ducking. Already low to the ground, Zuko attempted to sweep Heian's legs out from under him but the man was already leaping over, flames coming from his feet in retaliation.

Zuko quickly found himself in a constant cycle of dodge, breath, dodge, breath. Heian gave no room for thinking and the prince was thrown back to his days under Master Piandao. The swordsmaster had been relentless and exacting, but even back then Master Piandao had taken the time to pause on occasion to give instruction. There was no such break here where the session's only purpose was to spar. Here, Zuko could only rely on his instincts to keep afloat.

It didn't take long before the prince was on his back with Heian's left fist over his face and a slight smirk on the older man's lips. "As I said, Prince Zuko. I was not underestimating." Zuko knew his cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, a feeling he knew all too well after years of this same result. But to his surprise, Heian's fist turned into an offered hand and the man continued to say, "Your reflexes were satisfactory. But you remain lost in your head. The Firelord informed me that you might need some time to get a grip on your new firebending methods, but you must remember to actually try to do so even in the midst of exchanging blows."

Zuko nodded, a little surly in his loss. But he took the offered hand and stood back on his feet. He settled into a ready stance, took a deep breath, and replied, "Okay. Let's try again."

~0~

"Do try to avoid being so clumsy, boy," Lord Eishun reprimanded, looking pointedly at a bruise peeking out from Zuko's sleeve. "It wouldn't do to have our guests believing you unkempt."

Zuko promised to be more careful, grimacing a bit. His last few sessions with Heian had been far from successful. The prince had found himself on his back more times than he could count and the only thing he had managed to do so far was become adept at dodging by sensing where the flame was coming from. It was rarer now for Heian to land a hit early in their sessions, but that ultimately didn't matter when Zuko could not react fast enough or return fire.

So it wasn't exactly a surprise that he had more than his fair share of bruises, the one on his wrist included. He had gained that one when trying to stop Heian's kick only to learn the hard way that an eleven-year-old body could not yet stop a grown man in his tracks by sheer will.

"My lord, the Heng family will be here soon," Benki reminded anxiously. The three of them – lord, scribe, and scheduler – were all waiting for the first of the noble families to arrive for their interview. The questions had been prepared, the hosting room set, and the entire estate suitably notified. But there was still the chance that this first meeting would not go as planned and then word would spread that it might not be in a noble's best interest to have Lord Eishun speak to their children after all.

Zuko had his scrolls and brushes ready with extra ink at hand. Lord Eishun would be speaking directly to the children; it would have been disrespectful otherwise. But it was his duty to make sure all of the testimonies were appropriately noted since his transcription would be presented to the Firelord. Accuracy was key. Benki, on the other hand, was charged with introducing the noble families since he had been the one to arrange each meeting formally. And although his duty during the interviews were not particularly taxing, the older boy had been understandably frazzled the last few weeks making sure everything would run smoothly.

It wasn't long before one of the estate servants entered to tap the scheduler's shoulder, indicating that the Heng family had arrived. Benki wasted no time, and was up and out immediately to bring the guests.

There was a brief moment of silence in the room after the other boy's departure. It would take a few minutes at most for the incoming party to enter and Zuko used the time to check all of his supplies. He was in the middle of reviewing the pre-set questions when Lord Eishun spoke again.

"I do not tolerate clumsiness," the lord reminded his scribe. Zuko glanced up at the repeated reprimand, ready to apologize again. But Lord Eishun cut him off by continuing, "And should anybody be…enforcing such clumsiness upon you, then you be sure to speak to me, boy. I will not allow any such actions towards my entourage."

The young prince blinked and stared for a few seconds before the meaning of the lord's words finally sank in. Lord Eishun, in his own way, was offering Zuko help. "Oh no, my lord," Zuko hastily spoke. "It is not like that at all. This was just –" he couldn't say sparring accident because scribes didn't spar, "– a run-in with a wall."

Lord Eishun raised his eyebrows. "With a wall?"

Zuko had no doubt that his cheeks were pink at the poor excuse. Azula had always told him that he was a terrible liar. "Yes, my lord. I promise it's not something to worry about."

The lord of the estate seemed dubious. But the conversation was cut short as Benki entered with the Heng family close behind.

The Heng family was one of the smaller noble houses they had managed to acquire. Their business was specialized, focused largely upon ensuring a production of fine guardsmen. It was this particular trait that made their word more valuable, for any positive attitude towards the arts coming from a militaristically focused family would weigh twice as much as that of a family already invested in the arts. They were lucky here, Zuko knew, because their only daughter was at a young enough age to think practicing weaponry was tedious compared to the more entertaining music and arts. She was not yet old enough to be aware of the importance of military prowess.

The interview and the several interviews following went seamlessly and without incident. The children who entered were often all too eager to speak and be properly heard – believing all of this to be an exciting deviation from their daily routine – and those who were a little more shy responded well to Lord Eishun's gentle approach. It was the first time Zuko was seeing this side of his presiding lord, one that was all gentle lines and grandfatherly smiles. Maybe if you had asked the prince when he had first started as Lord Eishun's scribe whether any of this was real, he would have said no. But weeks with the elder man (and probably everything since his mother's disappearance) had shown Zuko there were so many layers to a person. Lord Eishun was most likely doting husband, severe taskmaster, and grandfather all in one and that was okay.

When the last family of the day left the estate, the prince concluded that the interviews so far were a success. A lot could get tangled in noble interactions. But today was straightforward, if not a touch tense. Zuko could tell that although the children themselves were simply nervous at worst, their parents were another story. It was understandable that they might be worried about their child speaking out of hand when their every word was being written down, but it was more than that. The prince could tell that something else was keeping them rigid and he couldn't help but have his thoughts stray back to Lord Rikyu.

The opposing lord had been brazen enough to confront Lord Eishun directly. Who was to say he wouldn't have done the same for all of the other families as well? Nobody but Benki, Zuko, and Lord Eishun were supposed to know of all the nobles they had managed to come to an agreement with. But perhaps those nobles had allowed it to be common knowledge that they were coming in for interviews. News had a way of spreading in the capital like wildfire and there were too many outlets from which Lord Rikyu might have gotten his information.

Still, the families had come as promised and they could only hope this would continue. Zuko decided it was not worth thinking about for now. There were too many things to worry over without adding to the list.

Surprisingly enough though, music sessions with Lady Modai were quickly becoming one less worry on said list. Lord Eishun had taken to allowing his scribe an earlier leave in the interest of appeasing his wife. The lady of the household insisted upon it, and her excitement over Zuko's tsungi horn progress was no secret. According to her, he was catching on very quickly and she could not wait to see him become the musician he was apparently meant to be. Zuko personally did not see where her assessment came from, since he could only barely get through each session without driving the other musicians mad. But he had to admit the practice was not unwelcome and it gave him some brief respite from his duties.

Lady Modai came to collect him, peeking her head through the door as Benki led the last noble family out. She smiled excitedly upon seeing her husband, pecking his cheek in affection before hustling over to Zuko with music score in hand. "You will not believe what piece I've picked today, little musician! You will absolutely love it. It's my own composition."

The prince couldn't help but smile back. Lady Modai was a lot of things, but she was not unkind and her exuberance for life was refreshing. That sort of exuberance as scarce scarce to come by lately and it was at times like this that Zuko was reminded this was why he must work to the best of his ability: to be a better prince strong enough to protect the people of the Fire Nation.

~0~

"I'm sorry about walking out on you the other day," Zuko apologized, leaning over one of the desks in the scribal headquarters during one of his breaks. "I wasn't feeling too well again."

Shaojun waved the apology away, as he wrote (with impeccable calligraphy as usual) the final touches to one of his scrolls. "No, I understand Kuzon. I'm sure the company didn't help either."

"I didn't mean to –"

"I get it, really." There was understanding on Shaojun's face. "I know that the other scribes talk about you – unfairly if I might add – and I know that it isn't easy. And I believe you about not feeling well. Only a blind man wouldn't have seen how terrible you looked. But maybe I can help you with the harassment if you just told me who was bothering you in particular..."

"You've done so much already." Zuko meant that. By nature of being Shaojun's frequent acquaintance (friend, even), the gossip was more or less kept at a low buzz compared to what it could have been. Sometimes, Zuko just marveled that the older scribe liked him at all especially considering Kuzon's reputation. Prince Zuko had no friends, only duties. But Kuzon was allowed that luxury and it was something new that the prince couldn't help but relish in. "You catch the mistakes on my report before Lord Eishun skins my hide, after all."

That pulled a laugh from the older scribe. He stood, gathering his scrolls for submission. Together, they approached the window to deposit their work before making their way out into the streets of the second ring. Zuko took in a deep breath as they temporarily left behind their scribal obligations. Already, fall was beginning to touch the air, the first of the leaves gaining a blush amongst their greenery and the sun hanging a little lower than it had the last few months.

"Let's avoid the normal lunch spots this time," Shaojun suggested. "For today let's go to my favorite spot – top secret. It's a little closer to the third ring border. I have quite some news to share with you actually."

"You mean we've been going on breaks together and you never mentioned you had better food in mind?"

The older scribe ruffled Zuko's hair playfully. "Rascal. Let's remember here that it's your lord who gives such strict curfew."

The prince shrugged, unrepentant. "Not really my fault."

"No, it isn't," Shaojun conceded. "But why the change today? Why is he giving you a longer stretch?"

Zuko very nearly explained that they had finished their interviews for the day much earlier than anticipated. But he quickly caught himself and replied, "He is probably warming up to me?"

"Right. And I had Agni visit me last night for a cup of tea."

The two of them burst into renewed laughter at the imagery. When they were able to breathe again, Zuko managed to ask, "You mentioned news. I hope it is good?"

"Very good." The older scribe was practically brimming with excitement. "I am usually not one to brag, but I figured it couldn't hurt to tell you."

Zuko was suddenly touched. Shaojun, an older more experienced scribe, was taking a novice into his confidence. It was kind, but the young prince was painfully reminded that they had just been discussing his own secret-keeping. Not telling Shaojun about Kuzon's harassers was probably the most benign thing Zuko was holding close to his chest. If the older scribe were to learn that his name wasn't even really Kuzon, that this was all a lie, that in the end this was all only temporary…

The prince cleared his head and focused back on the present, blocking away that train of thought. That was something to be dealt with another day.

In his exuberance, Shaojun hadn't noticed the younger boy's lapse. He was still grinning broadly as they walked. "I've been promoted! Recommended actually. I'm now going to be scribe for Lord Chin. Can you believe it?"

Zuko had to hastily search his memory. Lord Chin was a noble of high regard, but he was not within Lord Eishun's circle of close allies otherwise the young prince would have recognized it right away. It took him a couple of moments before he came upon the answer. "Lord Chin? His family is known for weapons manufacturing right?"

"His family is responsible for the weapons manufacture for our nation. It will be a great learning experience for me. I haven't really helped with organizing such logistics before."

Zuko remembered now. The Chin family was renowned for their control of the Fire Nation's weapon supply. They almost single-handedly ran the factories mass forging armor and other supplies for war. It made the family a powerful one; to be a scribe for the head of house was an enormous honor and responsibility. The prince couldn't help but smile. "That is great news. Congratulations, Shaojun. Really." And he meant it. There was nobody Zuko could think of more deserving to take on such a position.

They spent the rest of their lunch break discussing Shaojun's new placement, talking excitedly over plates of fire-flake dusted meat and wondering aloud what sort of man Lord Chin must be. It was fun and almost mundane, and it made Zuko feel like everything else on his mind was secondary even if for a brief moment in time.

~0~

The Wang family had become accustomed to Zuko's presence since his momentous reveal. The idea of a future Crown Prince serving within the second ring had been odd to say the least in the first few weeks. But with little choice left to them, the Wangs adjusted. Ruolan had been adequately and quickly informed about everything following the prince's first visit. She listened to the news with incredulity, but took it in stride after a few deep breaths. The two youngest boys in the family, Jun and Lei, had also been informed since they would recognize the prince eventually. But Chanming had taken extra care to sternly emphasize how important it was for them to keep the knowledge a secret. They hardly needed the reminder though; the memory of their month-long punishment from the last time they had disobeyed was still fresh.

Prince Zuko did not visit on a regular basis, but he came by often enough for scribal business and advice that some explanation was warranted. Yan took it upon himself to provide the reason and allowed the servants to "accidentally" overhear that he was good friends with Lord Eishun's scribe. It was an acceptable excuse since the two boys were relatively close in age and had reason to interact with the upcoming interviews.

As the prince's visits accumulated though, the excuse quickly began gaining a touch of truth. Sometimes, when Zuko stayed long enough, he could would have a chance to just enjoy some refreshments with the Wangs and talk about non-business related topics. Small things like Jun's favorite food or Qi's stories of his time abroad added a touch of familiarity between the Wangs and the prince that might not have been fostered otherwise.

Ruolan wasn't so sure how she felt about this new development. On one hand, direct connection to the crown was incredible. To have the ear of the Firelord's own grandson was influence other families could only dream of. When she saw the prince asking her children about how they enjoyed school and laughing with them, she could not help but watch in wonder at how such a thing had come to pass. On the other hand, she sometimes felt like her family had been thrown into the unknown where royal intrigues were beginning to entangle themselves around the people she loved. She had been horrified to hear that Yan had volunteered himself as an interviewee for Lord Eishun's personal project and sometimes stayed awake after Tui had risen wondering how the other families would view her son's stance. They had no way of knowing what would follow, but she chose to believe that Agni had a purpose for all of this.

The day before Yan's interview eventually came, prompting another visit from the prince. Upon Zuko's arrival towards the end of the scribing day as Agni began to dip below the horizon, Ruolan had sent Jun and Lei out to the courtyard where Quiang could keep them occupied. Being the household's host, she welcomed Zuko with a smile, struggling not to bow on instinct. "It is good to see you, Kuzon. Chanming and Yan are waiting in the main study."

The prince had come to give her son the final draft of his interview questions, as he had promised early on. This was one of the advantages the prince had taken upon himself to provide so Yan could arrive the following day confident in his answers and with little to worry about. Ruolan had been grateful for that small mercy. This way, her son could have advice on how to curate his answers for the best possible outcome.

She glanced over to her left as the prince walked beside her. He was a barely past her waist, a little on the smaller side for now but she knew he had yet to hit his growth spurt. Ruolan tried to place where each of his features came from, digging up the few memories she had of the other members of the royal family. His features were strongly reminiscent of Prince Ozai touched softer by youth and perhaps Lady Ursa's own characteristics. His hair color, black, was not particularly unique as many other citizens of the Fire Nation had a similar shade. But what was unique were his golden eyes that she knew came from Firelord Azulon.

They were almost to the main study when Prince Zuko hesitated in his stride. It was the smallest of pauses, a hitch of his breath and a slight turn of the head as if he were trying to sense something Ruolan could not.

Then, before she could ask what might be catching his attention, a distant crash stopped her cold.

Prince Zuko wasted no time, immediately bolting towards the source of the sound. Ruolan followed close with her heart in her throat hoping that a servant had dropped a dish. But the urgency in the prince's speed told her otherwise. They were down the hall and turning the corner when Prince Zuko abruptly lurched backwards and threw his weight on her, pushing them both back against the wall. Ruolan gasped despite herself and watched as a glint of steel missed them both by a hairsbreadth.

The prince was moving again and this time Ruolan knew where he was going. She too saw the figure cloaked in black running down the opposite hall path.

"Stop!" That was Yan's voice approaching, undoubtedly chasing the same figure. But Ruolan could not have that and she caught her son's arm just as he was about to pass.

"No," she commanded and looked her son in the eyes to make sure he understood. She would not risk Yan when she did not know what had happened to her husband. He was nowhere to be seen. "Stay here and don't move."

Then she was following the prince and the intruder, already a few paces behind. She saw Zuko firebend, throwing flame in an arc to try to block off the hallway ahead. But that only forced their route to change, turning once again down another path. Ruolan ducked into one of the nearby rooms when she saw the change instead of following. She had the advantage of knowing her home like the back of her hand and if she just cut across several side rooms and through one window –

Ruolan cast flame directly into the intruder's side, using her rage to enhance her jab. The blast was enough to throw the figure against the wall as a distinctly male voice gasped in pain. He barely had enough time to dodge Prince Zuko's kick that cracked the wall, but was already falling back into a firebending stance Ruolan recognized. Her eyes widened as she saw the intruder so close to the prince's face and moved to block the attack even though she knew she would be too slow.

"Kuzon – !" she gasped in warning.

But Zuko was already out of reach of the attack as if he had somehow already anticipated it. He was under the fire, rushing past the intruder's lowered guard, and then placing a single precise blow that threw the taller figure back several feet.

Ruolan was immediately over the intruder's form, her first flaming with a fire dagger over the throat. "Move," she hissed furiously, "And you won't live to see Agni again." She already knew Prince Zuko's attack had left the figure disoriented, but she had to be sure and the vindictive part of her wanted to see man helpless. Nobody stole into her home and threatened her family.

The man shifted forward, likely trying another escape. But Ruolan was ready and she swiftly pressed a hand to his neck, leaving him unconscious. As if perfectly timed, she then heard Quiang's voice call from further down the hallway. Zuko responded, "Over here!"

It only took less than a minute for Quiang to find them. His brow was furrowed with worry and his eyes were fearful upon first glance. But once he took in the scene, he relaxed enough to allow a thundercloud of righteous anger cloud his face.

"We found him running away from the center estate," Prince Zuko shared. "He is a firebender, and has several daggers on him." The prince stepped forward and knelt down to the intruder, pulling out hidden knives in a precise body search. "He seems decently trained, maybe even military trained. But not much more. Neither Lady Ruolan nor I are injured. Yan is okay, further back. We haven't seen Lord Chanming."

Quiang nodded at Zuko's report. "My brother is uninjured; he was with me and Jun and Lei in the main courtyard not long after Lady Ruolan greeted you. Yan is the one who found me to warn me of what was happening. It seems this man was inside Lord Chanming's study. The estate guards have surrounded all hallways leading to this one to prevent escape."

Relief flooded Ruolan's chest. Her family was safe. "Good," she breathed. "We must assess how this happened."

"I will take care of this," Quiang decided without hesitation. "Lord Chanming is already checking what might have been taken. Then, he turned to the youngest member of the current group and bowed at the waist. "Kuzon, please forgive this incident. We never had any intention of bringing you so close to harm."

The younger boy was already shaking his head. "There is nothing to forgive. You didn't plan for this."

"Then, please, allow us to manage what is left. You need not stay."

"I will stay to make sure everything is okay."

"But –" Quiang halted, probably seeing the same stubborn turn to the boy's lips that Ruolan could see. They could not order Zuko to leave any more than they could move a mountain despite his current guise as a scribe. "We respect your decision. Please stay with our children, then, as we gather what information we can."

The young prince acquiesced, "Very well. But I will hear the report." He was intelligent enough to understand that the Wang family wished to investigate on their own first. His eyes softened in what Ruolan could only interpret as concern. "I want to help."

And he probably could. He had resources the Wang family could only dream of having. A small part of the Wang matriarch softened at the prince's intentions. "We would be honored to have your help."

Satisfied, the prince nodded once and ran past them to find their other sons.

Ruolan watched him disappear around the hallway corner before stepping back to allow Quiang full access to the intruder. Her brother-in-law wasted no time in securing the man's arms with metal locks, and searching for any further weapons that the prince might have missed. Once Quiang was satisfied that there was no further danger, he pulled the intruder's mask down.

The Wang matriarch wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she knew immediately that neither she nor Quiang recognized the man's face. It was innocuous, normal even. Young. A mustache was the only distinctive feature.

"Smart," her brother-in-law begrudgingly muttered. Now that it was just the two of them, they could fall back into a more comfortable pattern. "They did not hire anybody of note."

Ruolan crossed her arms. "He isn't even on the criminal records?"

"I don't have the records memorized, but I would have known if this was anybody particularly dangerous." Quiang sighed. "I will still check though, and trace why he has been in the estate." Then, he turned to her. "You are safe?"

"As safe as a moose lion's cub." Ruolan spread her arms to display the lack of injuries. "But it is likely thanks to Kuzon."

"As I recall, you were the one holding the intruder in place."

"Only after Kuzon left him on the floor for me."

Quiang rubbed a hand down his face. "We are indebted to him again."

"He truly isn't as incompetent as…rumored." Ruolan said absently as she placed a thoughtful hand on her chin and leaned down to try to decipher anything more from their captive.

"How so?"

"Quick, almost too quick. As if he knew what was happening before it did." The memory of the prince stiffening before any clear sign of danger and dodging unformed attacks flashed in Ruolan's mind. She would not forget that he had saved her from a throwing knife either. "And certainly not lacking in his forms." Prince Zuko might not have boggled her mind with his firebending techniques. But he moved more efficiently, just as powerfully than even some soldiers she had seen sparring.

Quiang raised an eyebrow. "Do you think he knew what was happening before we did?" The reluctant tone in his voice already told Ruolan that her brother-in-law did not like considering the prince's possible betrayal. For all of Prince Zuko's supposed inexperience, he certainly knew how to garner loyalty. She would bet on her title that Quiang wouldn't hesitate to defend the younger boy, and she couldn't deny the not-so-small part of her that was growing more lenient of the prince by the moment.

"No. He was just as startled as I." Ruolan said softly. "I am grateful he was here."

It was good of an admission of trust as any from her. The Wang matriarch had never been one for grand displays of power or being swayed by monetary prowess. She valued the small things, the people she held dear. And for helping protect her family, Prince Zuko could have her belief as well.

Till next time! This was only half of what I meant to make as a whole chapter.