Traitor - Zuko X Reader

Chapter 12

Zuko POV:

I had been traveling for days, the hot sun pounded on my back, causing my clothes to stick to my skin as I rode the ostrich horse. I took my canteen out and squeezed what little water was left into my mouth. I needed to find a village soon so that I could get more supplies and possibly even sleep in an actual bed. My stomach growled and my vision began to blur the more I rode. The sun was so bright it caused my eyes to squint and I could barely see. I willed myself to stay awake, visions of my mother and (Y/N) invading my mind everytime I closed my eyes. I soon found my way into a small clearing, I could barely make out what I was looking at as I steered the ostrich horse towards what I think is a small cottage. My stomach twisted with hunger and my throat burned from dehydration, I swear I saw a figure approach me before I fell off of the ostrich horse and passed out on the ground.

I sat with my mother in the courtyard of my home. We were sitting beside the pond, my mother gently dipping her finger into the water before feeding the turtle ducks. It was a peaceful afternoon, I had no training that day and felt perfectly relaxed as we sat.

"Hey mom, wanna see how Azula feeds the turtle ducks," I didn't give her a chance to answer before chucking a large piece of bread at the small duckling.

The duck quacked loudly, "Zuko, why would you do that?"

The baby emerged from the water and the mother duck quickly came over to me and bit my leg. I yelped in pain and mother was swift to pick up the duck and gently throw her back into the lake. The mother duck looked back at me and quacked menacingly.

"Stupid turtle duck. Why'd she do that?"

Mother knelt beside me, "Zuko, that's what moms are like. If you mess with their babies," she pretended to bite at me, "They're gonna bite you back!"

I laughed and held onto her hand as she draped her arm over my shoulder. She stood and I followed her as we walked the palace grounds. We walked past the other courtyard, the one with the fountain and bridge, where Azula, her two friends, and (Y/N) were playing. At least, Azula and her friend with the braid were playing. The scary girl with the buns sat under a tree, keeping watchful eyes on the girl with the braid. I looked to (Y/N) who was keeping her distance from Azula sitting on the edge of the fountain, reading. I assumed that the girl with the braid dragged her to play with Azula and the bun-girl, since I knew (Y/N) would never hang out with Azula willingly.

Azula ran to where me and mother were, "Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need another person for the game we want to play."

"I am not cartwheeling," I tried to get out of playing with Azula and her friends. If it was only (Y/N) I wouldn't hesitate to play, but Azula always played unfair and was unnecessarily mean.

Azula crossed her arms, "You won't have to, cartwheeling's not a game, dumb-dumb."

"I don't care, I don't want to play with you."

Azula put on her fake doe-eyes, "We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so mom?"

Mother spoke into my ear, "Yes dear I think it's a good idea to play with your sister. Besides, (Y/N) is there," she patted my head, "Go on, now, just for a little while."

Mother left and Azula dragged me over to her two friends. (Y/N) had moved from the fountain to where the bun-girl once sat and gave me a smile before returning to her book. It was clear she did not want to be there as much as I did. Azula picked an apple off of the nearby tree and explained the game, "Now what you do is try to knock the apple off the other person's head," she placed the apple on the girl with the buns head and ran to stand opposite of her, "Like this."