True Balance . Prince Zuko

XVI

changing
sixteen
XVI

The uncomfortable resistance of the metal floor beneath her was the first sense to awaken her consciousness. Before the heaviness could lift from her eyes, the unnatural throb over her body made her shift in her struggling state. Slowly the swaying of the ground beneath Lelo forced her eyes to flicker, her mind registering that she didn't like the feeling. Her stomach swirled and responded to her unconscious thoughts before a funny taste filled her mouth.

The heaviness lifted like a veil, her eyes wandering around her surroundings. Her last memory being the pools of blood soaking into her clothes. The disgusting smell of salt and metallic stung her sinuses, the familiar inner grindings of the fire nation ship entering her ears. Slowly her eyes look down at herself, still covered in blood-stained clothes and bandages wrapped tightly around her arms and her hand.

The nauseous feeling in her stomach made Lelo put her head back down against the hard floor. Digging into her raging migraine. The room moves around her, the ship creaking at its impact. Water splashes onto the floor to her right, the escaped water rolling towards her and back again. Lelo's eyes watch the miniature leakage soak into her shoulder, observing the bowl before noticing the door wide open.

Opposite the door is Prince Zuko, watching her with a glare. He is dressed in black garments and boots with red embellishments. Lelo wants to vomit at the sight of him. She groans at the empty feeling of her nauseous stomach. She doesn't feel she has the strength to even sit up. Her head rolling with the harsh seas. Her eyes watch the cold ceiling of her room, her mind in a dizzying flurry of unconscious thoughts. Until her heart begins to beat inside her chest.

"You've been asleep since the Winter Solstice." The Prince tells her from his side of the door. He had been making his way past from the kitchens and to replace his boots for training when he heard her groans of discomfort. The two guards placed out the front stood diligently quiet, ready to close the door at his quick request. Lelo felt the sick groan inside of her stomach, rising into her throat.

"You didn't catch him..." Lelo was only just able to whisper under her breath. Her dazed eyes watching the ceiling to centre the swaying in her mind and stomach. Zuko responded savagely. Stepping into the room immediately, his foot evaporating the water beneath each foot before he kneels above her. He grabs a hand to her face, his hot fingertips digging into her cheeks

"You do not speak to me like that! You will learn your place-!" Zuko's fingers burned into her skin, tears bringing her eyes as she was forced to stare into his face. Her injured hands coming up to grab his arm in fear, but she had endured too much to remain quiet, "You would have let me die..."

Zuko's eyes widen for a moment in shock that she still spoke back to him, before registering her words. He gritted his teeth throwing her face from his searing hand, "My uncle-"

"Would have no way of saving me, he knows my fate just as much as me - unless you failed to capture the avatar." She tells him, the adrenaline rushing through her veins to push herself to sit up. Her hand grasping where his touch had burned her. The area would blister.

"Don't interrupt me!" Zuko shouted, his golden eyes melted into fierce sticky amber that roared with anger. His fist swinging out before him to release a flame of enraged fire, beneath him. The flash of burning heat, smeared the side of her face bringing immediately tears of fear. The ground beside her head rising with smoke. The room falls silent as they stare at each other. His molten eyes poured into her fearful cool ones. Both of their chest rising heavily.