Fire Queen

Chapter: 5

After the ritual, we had dinner which was quite peaceful, nothing happened we ate in mostly silence, but after that, all adults went back to their houses, I haven't seen uncle since the ritual it's probably smart of him to stay away from me,

After dinner we sat around the bonfire, we have a bonfire going every day, we young people gather here and hangout, but today was a special day, fire lord Zuko and Avatar Aang is joining us,

I was sitting next to Katara and Kia while he is sitting in front of me again, with Sokka and Aang, people are drinking and I am not comfortable with that we have guests and they can't stay sober for few nights?

My brother has finally decided to join us, he wasn't there for dinner too, but here he is, sitting on the side with alcohol in his hand and girl in his lap, I never understood what girls see in him, he is a drunk angry man, well now he is next chief so I get it now,

"Ryu?" lord Zuko asked, "Yes, My Lord" I answered turning to him trying to avoid my ill-mannered brother,

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked, looking me in the eyes, we do have unusually long eye contacts, it's like we are trying to read each other like a book, god what I will do to do that, but then my eyes travel down his face and that little smirk comes in to view, it makes me want to jump off a cliff.

"Of course, but you have to answer one of mine," I said trying to mimic his smile, but I am sure I am failing at it again, he lets out a peal of small laughter, everyone has stopped talking to listen to our conversation,

"Why Agni Kai?" he asked, it hit me like a brick wall, means I wanted to tell him the real reason too but still wasn't ready for it, I took a deep breath,

"I hope you believe me when I tell you I didn't do this to disrespect or challenge you--" I was cut off in  middle, "then why?" Sokka asked, I ignored his interference and continued,

"Fire bending is much more to my people than just power, it's our soul, our identity, everything in our life's are based around it, my mother asked my father for Agni Kai not to challenge him or to test him, they grew up together, they trained together every day, she already knew what he was capable of, she did it because to her fire was their love, my mother use to call her Agni Kai with my father her dance of love, their love, their love for Fire bending held them together, it was their common ground, when I asked for Agni Kai I hoped it can be ours too"

We were still maintaining that eye contact of ours, everyone was just there, not moving, not even drinking, other than my brother whose drinking is the only thing you could hear for a second,

"It's one of the most romantic things I ever heard" Aang broke the silence, but he wasn't the one I wanted to hear from, I waited patiently for his answer, it's funny how sometimes time flew by so quick, but then there are moments like this that just don't seem to pass,

But then it finally came "I hope too" he accepted my answer, it seems to satisfy him, his features relaxed a little, "Your turn?" he asked,

"I am not trying to be disrespectful, but this question has been bugging me for a while, why get marry like this?, I understand that this is for your kingdom but you are not in rush, why marry a girl you don't even know, you are letting someone into your home, someone so close to you even though you know nothing about me I could be a monster, not even for me but for you it's just strange normal people will try to get to know who they are marrying?"

His smile grew bigger like he was waiting for me to ask that, "I didn't want to marry any little girl who is living with her fantasies of love, I wanted a woman who can do what is needed to be done, who can do her duty without letting her emotions come in the middle, I wanted a queen who helps me run my kingdom" he replied like he had that answer prepared before just for me,