Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 72: Trying to Relax

A/N:  These next 2 chapters are examples of me typing out the rambling in my brain.

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Late in the evening of their return from the prison after everyone had gone to bed, Zuko and Chiara started walking out of the temple. He stopped when he saw Kaito and Ezo following them.

"Oh, you guys can relax," he said.

"But, your Highness, you shouldn't leave the temple without your guards," said Kaito.

Zuko was unaccustomed to having guard escorts since before his banishment, and he was finding it tedious. "We'll be okay. We're used to being on our own."

"I just don't think it's...wise to go off on your own, sir," he said.

"We're just going to the river for a while. We won't be long."

The guards were hesitant to let them go alone. "We'll stay at a distance, your Highness."

Chiara looked at Zuko. "It's not much different than having Lady Katara or Lady Toph along."

"Fine," he gave in.

They left the temple with the guards following. While Kaito and Ezo stood near the woods, Zuko took Chiara into the river where they sat in the water relaxing in the moonlight. Sitting on the riverbed he held her in his arms while leaning against the rock they usually sat on.

"I missed you so much," he said.

"I missed you too." She gazed at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For rescuing all those prisoners."

"I did it for you," he said.

"And thank you for rescuing me...again."

"I vowed to protect you," he said. "And if Katara thought I was overprotective before, wait 'til she sees me now."

She chuckled softly. "I love you," she said as she caressed his face.

He leaned towards her and kissed her.

"I have something for you. Close your eyes."

He pulled out the little pouch Sokka had given him.

"Are they closed?" he asked.

"Yes."

She heard something metallic.

"Okay, you can open them."

Her eyes grew wide when she saw him holding her diadem. "Oh, how did you get it?"

"Nai got it," he said. "And your knife too...as well as these..."

Opening his hand he revealed her rings. She was relieved to see all three. He placed her wedding band on her finger followed by Ursa's ring on her other hand, and then he put on her forefinger the dragon ring he had given her years earlier when they lived on the ship. He wrapped her diadem around her head connecting it in the back before wrapping his arms around her. They sat quietly in the water enjoying the current flowing against their bodies in the moonlight.

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During their first week back at the temple, the airship was moved from their training balcony to just outside the temple as Aang resumed training with all his teachers focusing especially on his firebending. Zuko never relented in keeping Chiara on the temple grounds. Even if Izin and the Imperial Firebenders were around to watch her, Zuko never let her leave the temple unless he himself was with her. Every evening he took her to the river to relax followed by their faithful guards. During the days she often practiced with him and Aang going through the motions with them during their training hours. As Aang was progressing in his firebending, he, Zuko, Izin, Kaito, Shin, and Ezo would team up against Chiara, at Zuko's insistence, in order to keep her trained against an attack. It took a bit of effort, and nearly a command, to get Izin to participate in attacking her, but Zuko assured him that it was for her benefit so she could practice defending herself against several firebenders at once, and it allowed her to develop new defensive and offensive moves. Unless she used her sword, Chiara found the sparring quite challenging when her water supply was limited inside the temple, but when they battled near the river, it was the firebenders who were on the defensive often ending up wet and frozen. The three Imperial Firebenders were amazed to see Chiara's masterful waterbending, especially Kaito and Ezo who had practically watched her grow up in the Fire Nation and never knew she had been a bender of any element.