True Balance . Prince Zuko

XI

earthworms
eleven
XI

Lelo's eyes shone exceptionally bright as she watched the flowing river in front of her. The water was calm but she could feel the strength in its tides. With no loss of hesitation, her fire nation clothes were thrown to the side along with the game board. The incredible feeling of water rushing over her bare feet, crawling and dancing up her legs and stomach before she bends her knees to allow her body to be submerged up to her shoulders. Though she missed the piercing cold of the north, she cherished the moments she spent with water. Freshwater. Rushing over every inch of her skin, rejuvenating her every cell that had weakened over her capture.

For once, she felt her heartbeat was normal. Calm and paced. Closing her eyes she fully submerges her body into the warm river's stream. Happiness radiating from her body. She wished beyond hope she could let the current take her, take her far away and even back home. How easy that would be, just for her foot to slip on a rock. Allow the current to run off with her weak little body. No one would believe. Maybe she could even fake her own death. They'd think she died, ironic for a waterbender. No. The Prince would never believe it until he found her dead body at his feet.

Breaking herself from her trance of thought, she lets out a sigh as she lays her head back to feel the rush of the water over her body. Even though she had been stuck on a boat for so long, she missed every sense that water gave her. The feeling of complete wholeness. Maybe even a sense of power but she knew that was the moon that fed her her power. Her eyes close, her body numbing to the feeling of calm. There was no threat to her right now, she hadn't felt this peaceful in years. The feeling of the rocks beneath her feet, slipping and moving with the current while others sat sternly against the riverbed. As she pulled her self up from the current as it rushes over her face, her piercing blue eyes wide in the presence of widened striking golden flames.

Frozen, like an animal caught in lights. Prince Zuko hadn't prepared himself for what he found and for some reason he didn't know how he hadn't. He had seen her in her covers before he had given her Izula's old clothes left in his luggage but now something had changed. Catching himself in his frozen state, he spins around, red blushing flushes up his neck and over his whole face. Lelo finally finds the sanity in her and moves further into the river, engulfing her body to her chin. Her arms placed tightly over her chest. They sat in silence, as if unsure how to continue from there. Horror slapped Lelo in the stomach, no man or even boy had ever seen her in the state she was in at the moment. Then the next it was all on display. The prince refused to turn, his body almost not allowing him to turn.

"Get dressed..." He whispered but his voice carried on the wind. There wasn't even moment where she stopped to listen to what he said. She went with her gut instinct. She wasn't going to question him. They both stood in innocent, naive, horror at the previous events. The Prince pushed the down the instinct to turn at the sound of her approach, the water slapping against her legs as she walked through the water before the rustling of clothes and her figure to the corner of his eye. Never in her life had she pulled on clothes quicker but even as she did it only reminded her of how much skin was showing anyways. Ringing out her hair she stands beside the thrown boardgame. Water soaking her clothes but for once she didn't mind. The water drips down her elbow as she rings out her hair, Prince Zuko finally turning to look at her. A glare is prominent on his face, his golden eyes squinted between furrowed brows and an annoyed scowl but for once his eyes held something else besides malice.

"My uncle will be returning to the ship soon, you'll be coming back with me since the ex-general can't even keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't escape." The prince seethed as he watched her grab the board game, directing her ahead of him. Lelo sighs as she hugs the board to her chest, her eyes lingering over the river. Savouring the feel, the taste and the feeling against her skin before moving past the prince. His presence radiating more than heat. She walked silently as the prince directed her from behind, watching her tensely like she was about to break for it but silently she walked forward. Noticing she didn't see Iroh on their way as they arrived back at the market.