A Princess' Destiny ✘ZUKO ✘

25

Soana fluttered her eyes open and groaned.

All she saw was red. Literally everything was red. The ceiling was painted red with some gold crown molding along the edges of walls and crimson columns that supported the ceiling.

She was in a bedroom.

A red oak vanity was to the left of her by a set of double doors. Opposing her bed was a deep red armoire and two crimson upholstered chairs. To the right of her was two giant windows with a set of double doors that led to a balcony. An empty oak chair was at her bedside, making her question who had been sitting there.

She sat up abruptly only to hold her breath from the jolt of pain then force herself back into the bed. Her spine ached terribly along with the muscles surrounding the inflamed area.

She heaved in many breaths to sooth herself until she saw the tapestry that hung above her bed. The shooting flames she gazed at made her stomach turn, making her feel uneasy.

A Fire Nation insignia has overlooked her bed, making her heart sink. She tried to gulp in fear but realized how dry her throat was.

Fortunately, next to her sat a nightstand with a cup of water. She noticed the water and desperately reached for it.
She successfully grabbed the cup to gulp down the water that was satisfying and was still cool and crisp.

That meant someone had been in the same room as her recently. The princess grew fearful as she heard the knob of the bedroom door turn suddenly.

She quickly sat the cup of water on the stand and patiently waited for the person to enter.

"Good. You're awake."
She heard a deep raspy voice.

Zuko.

Her chest tightened and the itch of anxiety formed along her throat when she remembered the last time she saw him.

In the catacombs she was defending the Avatar from Zuko and was about to finish him off when everything turned black.

However, she didn't know who had made her pass out, she did know she was so furious with Zuko that she could've hurt the world's savior or even killed him if she was given the chance.

Laying there, she watched Zuko take a seat in the red wood chair next to her bedside.

She glanced at him and saw how long his hair had grown, but she tore her eyes away since she felt disgusted by him.

"How are you feeling?" Zuko asked Soana before looking at the cup of water to see it empty.
"You must have been thirsty."

He grinned softly before grabbing the cup and standing up.
"I'll go get more."

He walked towards the door and looked at Soana again before leaving her bedroom.

After he left, Soana took a deep breath and held it as she sat up. The pain in her back became so overpowering that she was close to screaming.

She grabbed the other pillow on the one side of the bed and place it behind her back for comfort.

When she got herself situated, Zuko entered her bedroom with another cup of water. He placed it in the original spot and sat back in the red wood chair at the bedside, staring at Soana.

"You must be in a lot of pain." He muttered then saw a piece of her hair falling in front of her face.

He went to move it with his hand but Soana quickly slapped it away and stared forwards with gritted teeth.

Zuko took a deep breath and leaned back into his chair, frustrated with Soana and himself.

"I'm trying to help. You're going to have to accept it." He used a hand to rub the side of his face.

Soana huffed, giving him the cold shoulder.

"I've been waiting at your side for weeks, Soana. They told me you were dying but I knew you weren't going to leave so easily. I knew you were stronger than that. I know you."

She gave him the side eye and sent him a disgusted stare.

"My father has welcomed me home with opened arms. Not only because I brought you here, but also because we took down the Avatar."

Suddenly, Soana's heart came crashing down. Now there was officially no hope for the world with the Avatar being dead.

"I spoke to my father about our wedding." Zuko leaned towards a stunned Soana.
"He said we could have it the day after you're awake. So I guess tomorrow we will be man and wife?"

She felt even worse.

Although marrying Zuko couldn't be the worst thing to happen to her, she still had a sense of guilt that came over her.

She let Aang down. She was there helping him, and she wasn't strong enough to make it.

"I'm happy that you're cooperating with this," That was the last thing she heard from Zuko before she decided to flip over the blankets on her body and bend the water from the cup to splash Zuko's eyes.

The prince was caught off guard until he saw the princess jogging towards the double doors of the balcony.

Zuko shot up so fast that he knocked the chair over and dashed after Soana who successfully opened the door.

"Someone help!"
She was about to run and jump from the balcony before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist in a rough manner.

Her back from moving so much was starting to burn terribly causing her to scream out in pain and kick her arms and legs as Zuko dragged her back into the bedroom.

"What are you doing!" He screamed, throwing her to the floor.

She breathed heavily and looked at him through her brown hair that laid messily across her eyes.

His hair was soaked and his face scrunched.
"I thought you wanted this! I thought what you wanted was me!"

"This is not you!" She shouted at him.
"You're not the Zuko I knew from Ba Sing Se or from the North Pole! You're the murderer! You killed the world's last chance for peace for your father's approval! You're blinded by his lies!"

"Shut up! Just shut up, Soana!" Zuko grew so angry that he swung his fist and accidentally shot fire at her.

Soana felt the flesh of her arm burning from the extreme heat that she screamed painfully.

"No!" Zuko panicked and went to her to see if she was okay, but she crawled away towards the corner of the armoire in fear.

Zuko looked so scared that he thought he might have killed her.
"Soana," He spoke in a more gentle tone.

"Get out!" She demanded with a strained voice.
"Get out!"

Zuko still looked scared but he listened to Soana and left the bedroom before two Fire Nation guards came in to see what the commotion was about.

Instead of seeing any sign of intrusion, they see the princess in the corner beside the armoire, crying in fear and pain.